Dinosaur Blackout

by Judith Silverthorne

  As he studied the heap of old clothing, he gasped. There they were! The jacketed Stygimoloch fossils, hidden under the old clothes. Daniel had almost missed seeing them. But how did whoever stole the bones get them in there? Transporting them to the decaying shack without anyone hearing or seeing was maybe the easier part. It was miles away from anywhere, but the fossil pieces were big and needed a large opening to wrestle them inside.

  Daniel searched for signs of entry into the rubble heap. The first time around, he couldn’t see anything. But the second time, he noticed some sweeping marks on the ground, as if someone had tried to hide tire tracks and footprints by using a branch to mess up the dirt. Then he saw where the boards had been disturbed.

  Peering through them, he saw an exterior entrance to the root cellar that had been covered up by the caved-in boards. He called Dactyl out in a voice that demanded he come now. Dactyl obeyed. Not wanting to disturb anything in case he was messing up evidence that would lead to the thieves, Daniel raced over to Gypsy.

  Moments later, he galloped across the rolling hills to find a phone. Not only did he not want to pass through the Nelwins’ place again, but there was no point in going there when they didn’t have a phone. Also, he still figured Horace Nelwin might have had something to do with the thefts and there was no way he wanted him to know his suspicions. He’d never been to the Milners’ from the back pasture before, but he headed cross-country in the general direction until he came to a gate that he figured must lead to their farmyard.

  He arrived amid a kafuffle of dogs greeting him and Dactyl in a friendly manner. Herb Milner stepped out of his machine shop with a welcoming smile.

  “Could I use your phone?” Daniel asked, breathing hard.

  “Sure thing, Daniel. Is something wrong?”

  “I think I’ve found the fossils.” He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice.

  “That’s great news!” Herb Milner invited him into the house. Daniel tethered Gypsy to a caragana bush, told Dactyl to lie down and followed him inside.

  “The rest of the family is in town,” he said, showing Daniel where the phone was. “I’ll be back in the shop when you’re finished. Let me know if you need me for anything.” He left Daniel alone to make his call.

  Daniel hastily called home, but there was no answer. They must be outside. He dialled the cell phone number instead. Dad answered. Quickly, he explained the situation.

  “I’ll call Corporal Fraser,” said Dad. “You stay where you are. We’ll meet you.”

  “See you soon, then,” Daniel said.

  When he wandered back outside, Daniel heard Herb Milner clanging on something in his machine shop. He checked on Gypsy and was surprised to note that Mr. Milner had kindly given her a pail of water. Dactyl shared it with her.

  As Daniel headed to the machine shop, he heard the roar of a vehicle on the gravel road. He looked up just in time to see Dr. Roost whiz by, returning from Ole Pederson’s place.

  As he stood wondering what she had discovered, Dr. Roost suddenly screeched to a halt, just as Dad met her from the other direction. They spoke for a few minutes as the gravel dust whirled around them, then Dad drove on towards the Milners’. Dr. Roost ground her gears as she backed around and took off again in the other direction, probably on her way back to Ole Pederson’s to tell him the news.

  By this time, Herb Milner poked his head out of his shop. Before Daniel could say a word, Dad drove into the yard on their atv. Seconds later, Corporal Fraser’s rcmp car followed Dad down the winding, tree-lined approach.

  Herb Milner took off his hat and scratched his head. “You sure can cause a lot of action, Daniel,” he said.

  Daniel grinned.

  Dad and Corporal Fraser walked over to Daniel and Herb Milner. “Now, young man, let’s hear what you found,” suggested Corporal Fraser. Quickly, Daniel told them.

  “Whose property is it now?” Corporal Fraser asked.

  “I own it, though I’ve rented it to Abe Johnson as pasture,” Milner said. “But you’re welcome to search it any time.”

  “I appreciate your help, Herb,” said Corporal Fraser. “Mind us crossing your land to get there?”

  “Not at all. There’s a good trail through, shorter than the way Daniel came.”

  “Thanks,” said Corporal Fraser. He called headquarters and put them on the alert.

  Daniel mounted Gypsy and Corporal Fraser hopped on the atv with Dad. Following Milner’s directions, they arrived at the dilapidated shack within minutes, although the police officer did ask Dad to slow down from time to time to check out tracks. Daniel showed them what he’d found, pointing out the spots where he’d looked, including the entrance to the root cellar.

  “It looks like the fossils are there all right.” Corporal Fraser shone his heavy duty flashlight into the darkness of the cellar. The strong beam clearly revealed the lumps of jacketed bones. Dactyl scampered back inside, but Daniel quickly ordered his pet out again.

  Dad spoke to Daniel quietly. “Well, son, it seems you’ve done what no one else could. Good work!”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Daniel said. “But it was actually Dactyl that found them.”

  “Maybe, but how did you figure they could be here in the first place?” asked Dad.

  “Just a hunch,” Daniel replied. “A couple of people mentioned the place in passing, but no one seemed to consider it worth looking at.”

  “It is rather a good hiding place,” Dad said.

  Corporal Fraser used his cell phone to confirm the need for the camera and lab equipment, giving them directions to the Milners’ farm.

  “I can go back and lead them here,” Daniel offered, excited to be part of retrieving the fossils.

  “I’ll go back too, if you don’t need the atv, Corporal,” said Dad. “I think we’ll need some tools to clear some of this debris away and some other equipment to winch the fossils out of there.”

  Corporal Fraser agreed. “But you’ll need to wait until we’ve done the forensic investigation before you can move the pieces,” he said.

  “Sure thing,” Dad answered. “It’s going to take a while to gather a trailer and winches and ropes, not to mention a tractor to lift them out of that deep cellar. And maybe someone to guide the ropes or chains.”

  “Yes, it was much easier for them to get the pieces down there,” said Corporal Fraser. “All they had to do was tip the trailer and basically let them fall in.”

  Daniel winced at the thought of the damage that must have been done when they rolled and hit the ground.

  “Good thing this is a much smaller dinosaur than a T. rex,” said Dad. The pieces were anywhere from a metre and a half to two metres across, but awkward and heavy with the jackets protecting them.

  “I just hope they’re not too broken up,” said Daniel, going over to stare down the hole again.

  “We’ll know soon enough,” said Dad, as he hopped back on his atv. “I’ll take Dactyl home with me.”

  Daniel gave him a quick wave and climbed onto Gypsy. When he left, Corporal Fraser was busy taking measurements and jotting in his notebook.

  Chapter Twelve

  While Dad continued home, Daniel waited in the Milners’ yard. As he told Mr. Milner what they’d found, another vehicle appeared bringing their conversation to a halt. Mildred Roost had arrived.

  She hobbled over to Daniel and Herb Milner, using her cane to propel her. “Did you really find the stolen Stygimoloch?” Dr. Roost’s eyes looked wild with excitement.

  “Yes!” Daniel brought her up to date.

  “What was Mr. Pederson’s reaction when you let him know?” Daniel asked

  “I didn’t get a chance to tell him.” Dr. Roost sounded exasperated. “He wasn’t there when I went back. He’d already left for Swift Current.”

  Mr. Milner had a mild look of interest on his face. Daniel wanted to know more about Pederson’s plans too, but didn’t want to ask in front of Mr. Milner.

  “Oh, getting those paleont
ology supplies we needed,” Daniel said.

  “Right,” Dr. Roost agreed. “So what can I do?”

  Daniel explained that they were waiting for the forensics team.

  “I’d like to take a look too,” she said.

  “I can guide you there when I take them,” Daniel offered.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’ll just make sure I have my camera in my truck.”

  Suddenly, the sound of a speeding vehicle reached the peacefulness of the Milner yard.

  “Adrian McDermott, I bet!” Dr. Roost said. “How that man knows things so quickly is beyond me.”

  Herb Milner moved up beside Dr. Roost. “He sure has a ‘nose for news,’ as they say.”

  “Yes, and we can’t stall him any more about this story now that several people in the community know about the fossil theft,” she commented, as the reporter parked his car beside her truck.

  “Especially since he already seemed to be aware of the situation the other day when he showed up at our place,” said Daniel.

  Herb Milner stepped forward with a concerned look on his face. “Obviously he has some kind of inside source.”

  “Yes, but I wonder who?” Daniel asked.

  “We could ask him,” suggested Mildred Roost with a chuckle, as the young man strode towards them with his tape recorder and microphone in hand.

  “Good afternoon,” Adrian McDermott said, smiling. “So I hear the dinosaur fossils have been found in an abandoned farmyard. What can you tell me about the location?” he turned to Herb Milner.

  Mr. Milner pointed to Daniel. “He’s the young fellow that found them,” he said.

  “All right!” The reporter turned his attention to Daniel. “So what can you tell me about how you found the jacketed pieces?”

  “Boy, you sure know a lot already,” Daniel said, surprised.

  “I have my sources,” said the reporter cheerfully.

  “Like what?” Daniel asked curiously.

  “Listening to the police band on the Internet,” McDermott answered lightly.

  Daniel hadn’t known this was possible, but it certainly explained how McDermott always seemed to know what was going on. After a moment of surprise, Daniel explained how he’d been riding through the pasture and Dactyl had delayed him long enough to make the discovery.

  “What condition are they in?” McDermott asked.

  “We don’t know yet,” answered Daniel. “The police are still checking out the site.”

  “That’s fine then, Daniel,” said McDermott with a little laugh. “I’ll just head over there and take some photographs.”

  Herb Milner stepped forward. “I don’t think that’s

  a good idea while the police are carrying out their

  investigation,” he said. “How about you wait around with the rest of us here?”

  “Uh, thanks anyway,” McDermott said, stepping back to his car at a quicker pace than he’d arrived. “But I have other things to do. I’ll maybe come back.”

  Dr. Roost and Herb Milner watched as he reversed and then pulled out of the yard.

  “Quite the ambitious young man,” declared Herb Milner.

  “Yes, he certainly keeps abreast of what’s going on,” said Dr. Roost.

  Daniel wished he knew what was going on with the Nelwin brothers, especially Todd. As soon as he could, he’d confront the brothers once and for all to see why they were being so secretive and if it had something to do with their dad being involved with the theft.

  He also wanted to get the scoop from Dr. Roost on what was going on with Mr. Pederson. Obviously if he’d gone to town for supplies, he had another way to go back to the past. But now was not the time to quiz Dr. Roost.

  Wielding her cane over her head, Dr. Roost said, “I want to be ready. I’m not missing this action. Wish we didn’t have to wait for the forensics crew, though.”

  “No problem,” Milner said, pointing to a cloud of dust approaching in the distance. “Here they come.”

  A few minutes later, Daniel was leading Dr. Roost and the forensic team across the pasture.

  As soon as they arrived at the falling-down shack, Corporal Fraser gave the forensic officers directions. A few minutes later, Daniel and Dr. Roost stood chatting with him. They mentioned Adrian McDermott’s visit.

  “I think its time to question Mr. McDermott about his information gathering methods. I’m not sure if he’s a help or a hindrance, but we might need to set down some guidelines for him,” he said, then headed back to where the squad of officers squatted near the opening to the root cellar, taking photographs and making notes.

  Daniel led Dr. Roost some distance away from hearing of the crew. “Mr. Pederson’s going to go back again, isn’t he?” Daniel asked.

  “I’m afraid so.” She poked her cane at some old boards in the tall grass. “I tried earlier to convince him otherwise, but he wouldn’t listen.”

  “When?”

  She grimaced. “He wouldn’t tell me.”

  “I knew he’d brought something more back from the past with him,” said Daniel.

  “I’m sure he’ll be too tired to go before morning, especially if he’s got to go all the way to Swift Current to get supplies,” she consoled him. “He told me he wasn’t going there until tomorrow, but when I went back to tell him you’d found the Stygimoloch skeleton, he’d already left.”

  Daniel sighed. At least they had a little more time before they had to take up their guard duty on Mr. Pederson. “Too bad he doesn’t know the bones are safe, otherwise I’m sure he wouldn’t want to travel back in time again.”

  “You might be right.” Mildred Roost didn’t look entirely convinced.

  “After all,” said Daniel, “losing them was the reason we went in the first place.”

  “True,” agreed Dr. Roost.

  Daniel knew Mr. Pederson wouldn’t have returned from Swift Current yet, but Daniel would go to his place as soon as he thought his friend might be home. He didn’t want Pederson going back into that kind of danger, especially not with the added concern of the grey blanket that hung heavily in the skies and the falling debris in the atmosphere.

  If what Ole Pederson said was true, Daniel knew that the dinosaurs they’d visited didn’t have much time to live. Besides the trapped heat that warmed the planet too much for life to survive, the vast ash cloud they’d witnessed would block the sunlight for years and prevent photosynthesis, which was the way plants made food. This would mean the gradual extinction of land and aquatic plants, which in turn meant there would be no food for any of the living things in the Cretaceous Period that depended on them – including the dinosaurs.

  There were also other dangers. Carbon dioxide was naturally present in the earth’s atmosphere, and was needed to help plants grow. But too much would kill them. Sulphur gases and other atmospheric elements, including iridium, and carbon monoxide produced by volcanic activity, would be devastating to most life forms. Daniel didn’t like the thought of Mr. Pederson going to the past and possibly inhaling some of those deadly chemicals.

  When Dad arrived with some tools for making the removal of the boards easier, Daniel jumped at the chance to help. Together he and Dad pounded out rusted nails and pulled rotting boards out of the way for the police team, heaving them onto a pile a few metres away. Soon the entry to the root cellar was easily accessible.

  The police team signalled for Daniel and Dr. Roost to come down and check the contents. The jacketed pieces were scratched and dirty on the outside, but as far as they could tell, the large fossils inside were intact, saved by the thickness of the plaster coating over the layers of tissue paper and burlap underneath. The smaller pieces hadn’t fared as well. Many were broken and dumped into a mound all jumbled together.

  Dr. Roost let out a low sigh almost like a moan. “Realigning these will take many painstaking hours of work.”

  “At least we still have them,” said Daniel.

  “It will certainly keep Ole busy all winter,” she said.
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  “Speaking of which,” Daniel lowered his voice, “do you think he’s back yet?”

  She looked at her watch. “It’s a bit early yet. Give it another half hour or so.” She poked her cane into the ground. “Well, there’s nothing more for me to do here. Guess I might as well pop over to Ole’s and wait for him so I can give him the news.”

  “Great!” said Daniel, finally able to smile.

  “Are you staying?”

  “Yes, I want to watch them hoist the fossils to safety.”

  “Where are they transporting them?”

  “They’ll store them in our garage for now – it can be locked – and Dactyl will keep guard in the yard. We’ll hear him bark,” explained Daniel. “Then they’ll see what Mr. Pederson wants to do with them. I know he wanted them to go to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum eventually, but I don’t know if they were to go to the field station at Eastend or the Regina headquarters.”

  “Sounds like things are well in hand. See you later, young man!” Dr. Roost gave him a tap with her cane.

  Daniel watched the tractors, flatbed and other equipment arrive, along with several other men in trucks, including Herb Milner, and someone on a horse. Although they struggled at first to lever the fossils to haul them out, once they had a system in place, the whole operation went fairly quickly. Seeing them in daylight, they found the plaster of Paris jackets were in worse shape than they’d hoped. As Daniel had expected, some were cracked and badly banged up, because the thieves had rolled them into the root cellar without worrying about how they landed.

  “Someone sure didn’t know what they were doing,” said Dad. “Or how valuable these pieces were.”

  “They didn’t care about destroying other possible finds at the quarry, either,” said Daniel saddened by the destruction. “I still don’t understand why anyone would do it.”