FP-S3: Sica Holler. Means Bad Place.

Sunday, 21 Oct: No surprise breakfast was dry cereal. “Sorry folks but the eggs are rotten. Best I could do. Hungry Jack is having same problems.” Dr. Hall took the opportunity to offer his theory. “The cold coprolite and bones dug out of glacial ice. Thus protected from fossilization. And a frozen core the source of the stone’s unnatural cold. I suggest when they dug them out, microbial pathogens were exposed. Melting under the sun, they were washed into the creek at site 3 and flowed into Matthew’s fishing hole. Evaporation lifted them airborne across farmland and thus contaminated the animal feed and drinking water. Mr. Phillips could conduct a microscopic study of the coprolite and bones from Baker’s room. Should only take 20 minutes. Then we can get on the road. When we pick-up our food supplies from the General Store, ask Ma who’s her supplier. Farms near the digs?” 

While Clive spoke with Mr. Penman to let him retrieve the fossils from Dr. Bakers’ room (a letter accepting full responsibilities), Byron examined the coprolite with his field microscope. Crystalized with mineral deposits. And tiny bone fragments to confirm the dinosaur carnivorous. But no spores. Examining the bones Clive delivered was a more surprising discovery, “No spores but I can still see traces of marrow. I estimate these to only be a few hundred years old. These can’t be dinosaur bones. Nor imbedded in glacial ice.” Clive reminded him, “Remember the unique ridges. In Paleontology we classify the crocodile as a direct dinosaur descendant. And the sturgeon fish is thought to be a living dinosaur. Something about the bones excited Dr. Baker. He probably thinks it a new dinosaur to be named and announced.” 

Marcus and James returned from the General Store, “Ma says her suppliers are all over but mostly Minnesota. That debunks your neighboring field contamination theory. Now can we get on the road?” 

With James behind the wheel and Clive and young Matthew also in the cab, Harold, Marcus, and Byron climbed into the bed along with the cargo. Byron startled when he heard a spinning noise, “Wo, wo, wo Dr. Wrathmore. What the heck are you doing with that revolver?” Harold smiled, “In case we run into snakes.” Byron called into the cab, “You sure you don’t have room for one more?” 

Site 1: Matthew directed them north out of town void of roads, thus, going cross-country, “Yeah, that big boulder, yonder towards that lone tree. See that ridge?” Slow going bouncing along the rocky terrain in a truck with almost no springs. Spoiling Marcus’s attempts to take pictures till they paused at what Matthew described, “Here’s where they dug at their first site. Didn’t follow beyond here, too far to walk to get back in time for chores and school.” Clive studied the area [Geology-extreme], “Logical for them to follow the shale deposits of the ridgeline. Head that way.” 

Site 2: Another 10 minutes till they came upon a clearing with signs of camp and digging in a large vein of quartzite. Marcus complained, “Can we stop and stretch? My ass is numb from all that jolting. I can walk as fast as you’re driving and with less pain.” Byron got out too and walked to get life back in his legs. [Spot-critical] “Hey guys, I found this geologist pick. I think it’s Henry’s cause it has the initials HB written on its handle-butt.” Marcus came over to look and noticed the dry riverbed angling northwest. Which got Clive out of the truck, “Geologically speaking it looks ancient. Makes sense dinosaurs and thus Baker would follow the river.” 

Site 3: And that’s when Harold announced, “We’ve got company. Up on that ridge to our right. On horseback.” Using Clive’s binoculars, “Three Indians.” Watching only; so, they drove on following the ancient riverbed which made the ride even bumper and thus the students alternating walking and riding. Almost an hour till they spotted another camp area and dig. Phillip stumbling on a dark rock that proved to be another coprolite, less any etchings. “You’d think it just laying exposed to the sun it would be warmer. But this too seems to get colder the longer you hold it.” He packed it with the bagged good on the truck to keep it from falling out.

Now James wanted to stop to explore, “This IS where Dr. Baker found the bones he left in his room.” But Clive insisted, “I’d rather find the team first to prove them safe. We can always backtrack.” Marcus pointed out, “They were at site 4 what, 10 days ago. They could be at an 8^th site by now.” Harold jumped in, “I gotta agree with Prof Hall. At least checkout the last known position. We’re going to have to drive Matthew home soon; so, if we don’t find them in Sica Hollow, we can stop here on the way back from dropping the boy off.” Reluctantly, James dug into the snack bag to feed Matthew, “Darndest thing! Now even some of the snacks are bad.” He dug thru the bag picking out unspoiled pieces while Marcus offered him some of his peanut-butter. The mood definitely turned dour between the spoiling food and the lost opportunities to explore on their own. 

James insisted, “We’ve got our own coprolite now thanks to Byron’s sharp eyes. Let’s crack that one open to discover how and why it grows so cold.” It took multiple hard strikes with a pick to crack it into 3 pieces. Calcification and small odd lustrous rectangles. Dislodging one, “Oh my God. These are teeth. Human! Dinosaurs and man were eons apart.” Harold examined a piece, “Based on the wear of this tooth, I’d say it only a few hundred years old. Just like the bones Byron examined at the hotel.” And once again Byron found another coprolite…with etchings…and a chipped edge marked by old paint. “I’d guess this stone thrown against their truck and thus chipped leaving some paint. Maybe Dr. Baker’s letter was blaming Matthew the culprit till he realized the boy hadn’t followed them since site 1.” 

And once again Byron uncomfortably noticed Dr. Wrathmore handling his pistol. Harold, “I’ve got a sick feeling Baker’s team ran into trouble. I agree we need to move on. So where to now?” Comparing the map to their surroundings, they drove toward a gap in the forest grove ahead. 

James slammed on the brakes when mounted Indians appeared before them. Harold borrowed an etched coprolite and approached the Indians, “Is this carving one of your tribal runes or token?” But the elder Indians ignored him, only speaking to the driver, “We tell friends not go in Sica Hollow. Bad.” Harold tried again to get their attention, “Did you see them go in?” They repeated, “Not go in. Bad.” Then turned their horses and rode off, leaving Harold calling out, “But what about your carvings on this stone?!” 

Site 4: As James slowly drove toward the gap, Clive used the side-mirror to keep an eye on the Indians paused atop the rise. The oil pan scrapped as they bounced along an embankment that dropped off as they entered the trees. Thick enough to shade the sun. Fall colors. Then a clearing with 2 trucks parked on the edge. Diggings and a campsite void of tents. Baker’s team had moved on, on foot. As they parked and got out, Clive laid on the horn hoping the sound echoed thru the forest. Hope Baker was within sound range. James scanned the dig noticing deep holes. Harold checked the other trucks finding heavy equipment and a large-folded tent in the bed. “We’ve got someplace to sleep.” Marcus studied truck ruts and found where they had tried to drive into the woods before backing up and parking. 

1pm: Finally Matthew spoke up, “I gotta get home. It’s past noon and I got school tomorrow.” James and Byron volunteered to take him, “Now that we know the way, probably an hour round trip.” Byron rejected Harold’s offer to join them, “Not with your 6-shooter. Stay and protect the camp.” Marcus called out, “Grab more food from town. We’ve already lost a third of our goods gone bad.” As the truck sputtered back out of the clearing, Clive remembered, “Damn it. I forgot to tell James to call the University to update Joanne on the situation. Surely, he’ll think of it.” 

Marcus was pissed when Clive claimed seniority disallowing his solo exploration into the woods. Harold backed up the decision, “Barely visible sunlight. Too easy to get lost. And we already have one missing team to find.” So, Marcus joined Harold as they checked out the other trucks while Clive did his own survey of the dig. 

• Harold climbed into the 1^st truck, trying to start it. Nothing. Not even the sound of the engine trying to crank. He and Marcus peeking under the hook, “What the?!” Sticks jammed between gaps as if someone was trying to break off components. Realization the battery cables were missing along with most other wiring. They both surveyed the ground spotting the discarded wiring. The 2^nd truck similarly disabled.
  
  
  
  
  
• Clive scanned the dig area noting the string grid stretched out to aid identification of discoveries. [Spot-Hard] And that’s when he spotted the stick poking out of the excavated dirt. Not a stick but an arm-bone! And light, not fossilized. Lined with a spiny ridge. A few spines still intact. Reminded him of the Spinosaurus, but that only had spines on its back vertebrae. 

Harold, Marcus, and Clive all spoke at once, “You won’t believe what I found!” And that’s when Harold caught a glimpse of movement that caused him to reach for his pistol. Then realization it was a white woman, 40s, dressed in plaid and overalls. “Howdy folks. Heard ya honking and thought ya needed help. I’m Jane. Lived out cheer all my life. Alone. You part of Baker’s team? Yeah, they showed me around. Said they were digging for bones. Shoot, I told them there’s lots of bones just lying on the ground at that old abandoned mining town. Just pick em right up. No shoveling. The town? Out yonder, cross the holler. Sica Holler. Means bad place. I ain’t seen none. The Injuns say this place holy. Say the river runs red with blood. Ghosts of their kinfolk. Probably killed by us white folk.” 

Asked about food spoilage, Jane continued, “I was out collecting mushrooms when I heard yer horn. Making a stew. I could bring ya some later if ye like. The mining town? Like I told Baker and that funny guy Tukie [Dr. Tucker], that-away across the holler to the other rise. Can’t miss it. Doc found it hisself cause he showed me a head-nogging he came back with. Ski-ul he called it. So excited, he was packing up this here camp.” 

Marcus had already taken plenty of pictures of each site; so, he raised his camera toward Jane, “Mind of I take your picture?” Puzzled, Jane asked, “It ain’t gonna hurt is it?” 

NEXT SESSION: https://rigglefp.blogspot.com/2020/10/fp-s4-dr-baker-byron-silence.html