jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第45章

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　〃The　two　percent　number　is　educated　guesswork；　although　based　on　what　we've　encountered　in　such　a　short　piece　of　time　。　。　。　I　suppose　it　could　be　inaccurate；〃
　〃Hey；　we　need　a　rifle。　Want　me　to　drive　back　to　town　and　get　one？〃　Colter　offered。
　〃No　。　。　。　no；〃　Dr。　Piltcher　said。　〃I　wouldn't　want　to　kill　one　。　。　。〃
　〃Deinonychus　were　thought　to　hunt　in　packs；　Chester；〃　Dr。　Coombs　reminded　him；　seeming　to　accept　Colter's　idea。
　Dr。　Piltcher　hesitated。　〃Let's　think　about　it。　Perhaps　we　should　head　back　and　talk　it　over。　Let's　circle　back　this　way。〃
　Dr。　Piltcher　pointed　in　the　direction　opposite　the　deinonychus's　route。　They　walked　in　silence；　vigilant　now　for　larger　dinosaurs　as。　well　as　the　smaller　ones。　They　continued　through　the　taller　brush；　curving　back　toward　the　RV；　relieved　when　the　brush　thinned　again　and　they　could　see　farther　ahead　and　behind。　At　a　section　of　overlapping　bushes；　they　pushed　themselves　through　the　thick　brush　to　a　small　clearing　filled　with　a　mound　of　leaves。　They　started　across；　but　found　the　mound　soft；　so　they　skirted　around　the　outside…except　for　Colter；　who　continued　on　his　way；　his　feet　sinking　into　the　surface。
　〃Man；　this　stuff　is　hot；〃　he　plained。
　Dr。　Piltcher　ignored　Colter's　plaint　for　a　few　steps　and　then　stopped　abruptly。　Petra；　following　close　behind；　bumped　into　him。
　〃Colter；　is　it　just　warm　from　the　sun；　or　hot？〃　Dr。　Piltcher　asked。
　〃It's　hot。　e　here　and　feel　this。〃
　Dr。　Coombs　pushed　his　hand　into　the　leaves。
　〃It　is　inordinately　warm。　It　must　be　from　the　decay。〃
　Dr。　Piltcher　pushed　his　hand　in　too。
　〃Well；　Chester；　shall　we　dig？〃　Dr。　Coombs　asked。
　〃I　can't　find　any　reason　not　to；　but　let's　not　dillydally。　Colter；　dig　down；　will　you？　Carefully？〃
　〃What　for？〃
　〃Colter；　dig！　Petra；　you　help　watch。〃
　Dr。　Coombs　was　already　moving　handfuls　of　leaves　to　the　side。　Colter　bent　over　at　the　waist　and　began　digging　dog　style；　throwing　leaves　between　his　legs。　Soon　Dr。　Coombs　adopted　the　more　efficient　posture。　They　opened　the　top　of　the　mound　and　spread　out；　enlarging　the　hole。　While　the　leaves　on　top　were　dry　and　crisp；　underneath　was　moist　decaying　matter；　with　a　pungent　odor。
　Colter　plained　about　the　smell　but　his　arms　never　slowed　until　he　gave　another　shout。
　He'd　found　an　elongated　egg；　eight　inches　in　length。　Dr。　Piltcher　immediately　held　it　out　to　Dr。　Coombs。　They　turned　it　slowly　in　their　hands；　feeling　the　smooth　soft　shell。
　〃It's　very　warm；〃　Dr。　Piltcher　observed。
　〃Yes；　because　of　the　decay；〃　Dr。　Coombs　added。　〃Very　clever；　really。〃
　〃Hey；　there's　lots　more。〃
　They　turned　to　see　Colter　holding　an　egg　in　each　hand。　When　Petra　and　the　men　pletely　uncovered　the　nest　they　found　three　concentric　circles　of　the　eight…inch　eggs；　each　one　pointed　toward　the　center　of　the　nest。
　Dr。　Piltcher　sketched　the　layout　of　the　eggs　and　then　directed　that　the　eggs　be　reburied　while　he　took　custody　of　the　first　one。　When　they　finished；　the　mound　looked　different。　It　was　higher　now；　and　lumpy。
　Dr。　Piltcher　stopped　at　the　edge　of　the　clearing　and　put　the　egg　on　the　ground；　wrapped　it　in　a　sweatshirt　borrowed　from　Dr。　Coombs；　placed　it　inside　his　shirt；　and　then　led　the　way　out　of　the　clearing　and　toward　the　RV。
　
　Forty　minutes　after　the　humans　left；　an　animal　twice　the　size　of　a　rhinoceros　shuffled　into　the　clearing。　She　had　a　short　thick　tail　and　a　large　bony　collar　around　her　massive　neck。　A　long　curved　horn　protruded　from　her　large　snout；　and　two　smaller　horns　protruded　from　the　neck　collar。　Her　head　was　huge；　easily　a　quarter　of　her　enormous　body。　She　walked　on　all　fours；　her　back　legs　longer　than　her　front　legs；　so　her　rear　hips　were　higher　than　the　front；　and　her　head　was　held　close　to　the　ground；　where　her　nose　was　busy　smelling。　Something　was　wrong　in　the　clearing。
　Her　eyes　were　weak；　and　she　relied　on　her　sensitive　olfactory　organs　for　most　of　her　information。　She　had　smelled　the　mound　twice　a　day　since　laying　the　eggs　and　each　time　the　smells　had　been　the　same。　Today　there　was　a　new　smell；　one　she　had　never　encountered。　She　pawed　the　center　of　the　mound；　quickly　removing　enough　material　so　she　could　check。　They　were　still　there。　Sweeping　with　her　tail；　she　refilled　the　depression　and　smoothed　over　the　surface。　Now　she　put　her　head　to　the　ground　and　began　sniffing；　spiraling　down　the　mound　and　toward　the　periphery。　She　was　working　along　the　outside　edge　of　the　clearing　when　she　smelled　that　one　of　her　eggs　had　been　there。　The　smell　was　faint　but　distinct；　and　it　was　mixed　with　the　strange　smells　of　the　mound。　She　discovered　her　nest　had　been　robbed。　Then　she　followed　the　smells　out　of　her　clearing。
　
　29。　　LIFE　IN　THE　FOREST
　
　Oh；　that　I　could　live　to　see　the　time　of　two　times；　to　walk　with　the　ancients。
　…Zorostrus；　before　the　King　of　Babylon
　
　Forest；　former　site　of　Portland；　Oregon
　POSTQUILT：　MONDAY；　7：05　A。M。　PST
　
　　Cubby　automatically　assumed　the　leader's　role；　now　that　Ripman　was　gone；　and　as　John　trod　behind；　he　regretted　his　decision　to　stick　with　his　friend。　He　thought　about　the　beach　cabin。　He　imagined　his　parents　were　probably　headed　there　now　and　would　soon　be　sitting　around　the　fireplace　eating　crab　or　tossing　bread　crusts　off　the　balcony　to　the　seagulls。　Lost　in　thought；　he　nearly　stumbled　into　Cubby；　who　had　stopped　and　crouched　down。
　〃What's　the　big…〃
　〃Shhhhh。〃　Cubby　put　his　ringers　to　his　lips。　Then　he　pointed　over　the　clump　of　grass　in　front　of　him。　They　were　at　the　top　of　a　long　slow　grade。　John　stood　up　slowly　until　his　eyes　cleared　the　bush。　Their　hill　dropped　off　sharply　into　a　little　valley；　with　few　trees　but　rich　with　the　same　deep　green　grasses　and　ferns　beneath　their　feet。　Here　and　there　in　the　valley；　boulders　stuck　above　the　grass。　John　didn't　understand　Cubby's　caution　until　one　boulder　raised　its　head　and　looked　around。
　〃They　look　like　rhinos。〃
　〃More　like　a　giant　armadillo。　See；　it's　covered　with　armor　plates　and　it　doesn't　have　a　horn　like　a　rhino。　Look　over　there。〃
　One　of　the　animals　was　moving　through　the　clearing；　and　they　got　glimpses　of　its　body　and　tail。　It　walked　on　all　fours　with　its　head　down；　its　dragging　tail　ending　in　a　bony　sphere。
　〃Did　you　see　that　tail？　It　looks　like　a…a　mace；　one　of　those　heavy…duty　weapons　the　knights　used。〃
　Cubby　shushed　him　again；　and　nodded；　and　whispered　softly；　〃Let's　work　our　way　around　the　valley。〃
　〃Good　idea；〃　John　whispered　back。　〃Let's　head　due　west　and　when　we　get　to　the　Pacific　we'll　turn　left。〃
　Ignoring　John；　Cubby　turned　and　led　off　through　the　trees。　As　John　followed；　he　tried　to　remember　the　map　Ripman　and　Cubby　had　drawn　in　the　dirt。　They　worked　their　way　around　the　little　valley　by　going　uphill；　and　John　wondered　whether　this　was　one　of　the　hills　near　Cubby's　dad's　church。
　The　big　dinosaurs　in　the　valley　were　the　first　they　had　seen　since　being　chased；　although　many　smaller　lizards　scuttled　out　of　the　way　as　they　passed。　John　kept　thinking　of　the　beach　cabin。
　The　trees　thickened；　and　as　the　giant　redwoods　once　again　dominated　the　forest　the　underbrush　thinned　to　soft　ferns。　As　they　climbed　a　steep　slope；　John　decided　to　conserve　his　energy；　and　he　lagged　behind；　hoping　Cubby　wouldn't　notice。　When　Cubby　disappeared　through　the　trees　ahead；　John　was　motivated　to　pick　up　his　pace。　Suddenly　he　heard　Cubby　yell；
　〃John！　It's　here。　It's　here！〃
　Pushing　his　aching　legs　harder；　John　pumped　up　the　hill；　dodging　trees。　The　ground　steepened　and　then　leveled　and　John　burst　out　of　the　forest　onto　a　bald　peak。　Cubby　was　shouting　and　pointing。　Another　valley　lay　below　them；　and　another　hill　behind　that　sloped　down　to　meet　the　valley。　After　a　gap　another　hill　sloped　up　out　of　the　valley。　John　followed　Cubby's　finger；　pointed　between　the　hills。　He　had　to　stare　hard；　but　there　in　the　gap　was　Portland…a　shimmering　misty　image；　but　undeniably　Portland。
　〃We　found　it；〃　John　said　out　loud；　〃we　made　it。〃
　Cubby　picked　John　up　in　a　bear　hug　and　spun　him　around。　After　they　danced　and　whooped；　they　sat　on　the　rocks　and　rested；　eating　more　of　their　trail　mix；　and　drinking　from　their　canteens。　Bursting　with　excitement；　they　planned　delightedly　how　to　get　into　the　Willamette　Valley　where　Portland　lay。　John　was　still　talki