Dinosaur Hideout (6 page)

Quickly, he pushed the Ski-Doo out of the shed. He jumped on it, turned the key, revved it up and propelled it around the buildings. As he roared out of the yard, he ignored Dactyl’s barks from inside the barn. He didn’t know how long he was going to be, and he didn’t want to tire Dactyl out, or worse, have to call forever, looking for him.

He sped towards his hideout. His brain whirred. Lease the land? Not be able to go to his special place anymore? How could Mom and Dad even consider it? There could be all kinds of duckbills under these snowy hills! And what about other dinosaurs?

As he neared his hideout, he suddenly veered away. Just where were the boundaries of their property anyway? He hadn’t been to the outer edges in ages. No need. He’d found everything he wanted right near his hideout. And why did the oil company want to lease this particular piece of land so badly?

After a few moments, he realized that was a no-brainer. If an oil company was interested, then for sure there were dinosaur remains. The two seemed to go hand in hand from what he knew. And there was no way he was going to let the earth destroyers anywhere near his special place. Not if he could possibly help it.

Wait! He must be near Pederson’s property now. He slowed down and found a hollow. Then he cut the engine and sat there for a few minutes, gathering his courage. What could it hurt, if he took a little peek? He’d be careful, and the old man would never know!

He slid off the snowmobile and walked in the direction of Pederson’s place, keeping a low profile. He slowed down even more as he moved in closer towards some low bushes that skirted the slope. As he crept along the line of shrubs, he looked down over the ridge. All he could see was a dilapidated cabin, more like a weather-beaten shack really, crammed into a gully as close as possible against the hillside. A sort of long, narrow lean-to jutted out from the main shack and butted into the hill.

As he tried to figure out what the purpose of the makeshift lean-to might be, Pederson emerged from it, carrying a pail of what looked like dirt. He dumped it onto a pile about twenty yards from the rustic cabin, and then disappeared back inside.

“Geez. What’s he doing? I’m going in for a closer look.”

Daniel eased himself down the side of the hill, keeping a careful watch in case Pederson reappeared. All was silent, except for his own scuffling footsteps in the snow. He managed to sneak right up to the cabin, avoiding the debris scattered about the yard. He waited a moment, listening, then peered in the window. And gasped. Through the dimness of the interior, he could see all kinds of bones strewn out over a long wooden table on a back wall. He backed away a few steps, his heart hammering.

“Geez, maybe Brett and Wade were right! Wait until I tell Jed!” He squinted and thought about it. “Nah, it can’t be.”

He worked up his nerve to peer in again, hoping for a better look, while keeping an eye out for Pederson. But the place was too dark to see much of anything. He needed to be higher. He ducked back down again, and discovered an old metal pail nearby. As quietly as he could, he pried it out of the crusty snow. Then he turned it over, tamped it down a bit and stood on it. Cautiously he peeked back through the window.

He stared hard at the bones on the table. What were they? As he leaned in for a closer look, the pail tipped over and clanked onto its side, sending him sprawling with a loud thump against the cabin wall and then into a snow bank. Instantly, Bear charged snarling around the corner.

Daniel let out a yelp. “No Bear! Help! Get him off me. Help!”

All at once, Pederson appeared and yelled, “Heel, Bear! Heel.”

He pulled his huge dog off Daniel, regaining control of him, then he grabbed Daniel by the scruff of the neck and half-dragged him away from the cabin.

“What in tarnation are you doing here, young man?” Pederson snarled as he yanked him along the ground.

“I didn’t mean any harm, really. Let me go,” Daniel struggled to his feet as Pederson set him upright again.

Suddenly, Pederson doubled over in a coughing fit and released him.

“I was just curious. Honest, I didn’t mean any harm.” He bent over and brushed himself off. That’s when he spotted the little white cross sticking out of the snow halfway across the yard. He gulped.

Pederson wiped the spittle into a handkerchief.

“Do you know what I do to intruders?” he gasped out, breathing heavily.

“No, sir, I don’t,” Daniel said, although when he looked at the cross again, he had a good idea. Brett and Wade’s comments came back to haunt him. He could feel himself shaking.

“Look, I didn’t mean to intrude.” Daniel had to try reasoning with him somehow. He felt tremors of fear shooting up his spine. Maybe the old guy did murder trespassers! He took a deep breath as he tried to think what to do.

“Maybe I could help you,” he blurted out, holding his fear at bay and hoping to appease the old man at the same time. Besides, now he was even more curious to know what Pederson was doing. He was sure the bones he’d seen were too big to be human. Maybe they were from some huge animal?

“No. You get off my property right now. Go!” Pederson
rasped out.

Daniel stood his ground. “Wait. I didn’t mean to, but I saw the bones. On your table.” Sudden realization dawned on him. “Are they from dinosaurs?”

Pederson stared fiercely at him, “Get. Now!”

“Please,” Daniel’s voice shook. “I want to know if you’ve found something important. I’ve been searching for evidence of dinosaurs for a long time. I know there’s something special here. I just know it.” Daniel swept his arm across the panorama of hills.

Pederson seemed to be wrestling with himself, weighing whether or not to speak. Daniel looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Please. It’s important to me.”

“Why? What makes you think I’d be collecting dinosaur
bones? Does this look like a museum to you?” Pederson coughed into his handkerchief.

“My rock – the other day. You knew what it was. You’re interested in paleontology, too, aren’t you? That’s why you’re here.”

“What do you know about paleontology?” Pederson went into another coughing fit.

Daniel started to move towards him to pat him on the back, but drew back when he saw the independent look in his eyes.

He tried to explain. “Enough to know that this has to be a prime place for dinosaurs. Enough to be sure that some amazing species are just waiting to be uncovered.”

Pederson eyed him suspiciously. “So dinosaurs lived here once. Eons ago. That’s no secret, given the makeup of the land.”

“But that’s what you’re doing here, isn’t it?” Daniel quizzed him. “Digging for dinosaurs?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” the old man shied away from the question. “What are you expecting to find, young man?”

Daniel figured this was his chance to keep Pederson from doing anything bad to him, so he kept talking. Besides he felt tingly all over when he thought about his favourite topic. “I figure there’s probably a whole dinosaur here. I mean, if they found almost a complete tyrannosaurus rex over by Eastend, why not here? We’re only fifty kilometres or so away.”

Daniel started clapping his mittened hands together to get the circulation going. He was beginning to feel cold, but he’d noticed the glint of interest in Pederson’s eyes.

“What makes you so confident there’s anything right here? On this land?” Pederson demanded.

“I’ve already found some fossils.”

“What kind?”

Daniel noticed Pederson’s increased curiosity. “Like what you saw the other day.”

The old man shrugged, as if losing interest.

“And more,” Daniel added shrewdly, wanting to keep his attention.

Pederson sized him up. He seemed to be making up his mind about something.

Daniel pleaded one more time. “Oh, come on. Tell me what you’re doing. Please. I’m not going to say anything. My parents don’t even know about my hideout. And my dad hates me mentioning anything about rocks and dinosaurs. All he’s interested in is farming – cattle and crops.”

“Is that right?” asked Pederson. He had another coughing fit that seemed to take his breath away.

Daniel shuffled uneasily, as he debated whether or not to confide in Pederson about his dilemma. Then he blurted out, “Did you know there’s an oil company trying to lease land around here?”

“What?” Pederson stared hard at Daniel.

“Yeah,” Daniel added confidently, “So that proves it, too. If there’s oil, there are dinosaurs.”

Pederson raised his eyes skyward, then said, “Not quite. You’re kind of on the right track, but oil comes from a much earlier period than dinosaurs.”

“Okay.” Daniel thought for a moment. “But it seems wherever there is oil, it’s also dinosaur country.”

“Again partly true,” Pederson nodded.

Then although he seemed about to comment further, Daniel plunged ahead. “That’s bad news for me this time, though. The oil company wants the land where my hideout is, and I heard they probably want your land, too.”

“Well, they won’t get it,” Pederson bristled. “Are you sure about this?”

“Sure as I’m standing here with you,” Daniel regretted his choice of words, but blundered on. “My parents were at a meeting last night.” He paused for effect. “Do you know what it could mean?”

Pederson nodded. “Of course I do. Can’t let that happen.” He muttered something to himself. Daniel thought he heard him say, “I’m too close.”

“Too close to what? You can tell me. I promise I won’t say anything,” Daniel looked as sincere as he could.

Pederson hesitated, staring at him. Both of them shifted their feet, eyeing one another. Bear sat silently beside his master.

“Look, why would I tell anyone?” Daniel asked. “No one would believe me anyway. You’re the only one that’s ever seen my hideout. Not even my best friend, Jed, has been there.”

Daniel crossed his fingers inside his mitts – true, Jed had never been there, but he did know the hideout existed.

“No one knows its location?” Pederson eyed Daniel.

“No one. I swear.” Daniel looked up earnestly at the old man.

Pederson still hesitated, eyeing Daniel, as he coughed and spat.

Daniel hoped he sounded convincing. “Look, I’ll tell you about some of my finds, if you like.”

“Like what?”

Daniel stomped around as he talked, trying to get warm. “Like where I think there might be something big, like maybe a duck-billed dinosaur, maybe even an Edmontosaurus.”

Pederson’s interest was obviously piqued now. “Go on, I’m listening.” He coughed again.

“Well, my theory is that because scientists have already found eggs from other duckbills just across the borders in Montana and Alberta, why not here? So far they’ve only found a few pieces of the Edmontosaurus in Saskatchewan. It would be cool to find a whole one, but even better to find their eggs,” Daniel explained.

“And?”

Daniel looked at him incredulously, “And? Isn’t that enough?”

“No.” Pederson wheezed. “What’s your proof?”

Daniel shifted anxiously. “Oh, all right. But you have to promise not to tell.”

Pederson nodded.

“This fall, I found what I think might be a nest site.”

“Really?” Pederson’s eyes widened.

Daniel nodded and motioned with his head for Pederson to follow him. They climbed a little ways up a hill with Bear at their heels. Then Daniel pointed. “Just over there in the next gully – where our properties border. I found some coprolite there.” Coprolite was fossilized dung. Proof that something
had been out here, eons ago.

Pederson gasped in surprise, and then seemed to become even more agitated. He sputtered and coughed violently. Then he spat again, and held his chest.

Daniel looked on with alarm. It was a wonder the old guy hadn’t choked to death. He must have pneumonia or something.

“Geez. Maybe you should do something about that cough?” Daniel could see the huge puffs of breath on the cold air as the fit finally subsided.

“It’s nothing. Go on.” Pederson commanded. He studied
Daniel through watery eyes.

Daniel shook his head. “No, now it’s your turn. You’re digging up something, aren’t you? What?”

Pederson looked away. He stood still for some moments staring mutely out at the landscape, before he turned a curious gaze back on Daniel. Then he seemed to reach some decision. He motioned to Daniel, turned and edged back down the hill toward his cabin. As he opened the rickety door, it threatened to fall off its hinges. He took no notice and went inside, stopping Bear, who wandered off to sniff out some tracks in the snow.

Daniel hesitated at the threshhold, reluctant to continue. What if the stories the kids on the bus had told were true? Was he walking into certain death? No one knew where he was. Should he leave while he could? Or stay and have his curiosity satisfied? Surely someone interested in paleontology wouldn’t harm him? Or would he?

While he stood in the doorway trying to figure out what to do, Pederson turned to him in surprise. “Well, come in. Don’t stand there all day. You’re letting the heat out.”