tail would cripple any allosaur that ever lived…and these brontosaurs weren't the biggest. They have a relative, the diplodocus, that measured more than one hundred feet in length.”
“Well, now I know why you're digging,” said Holliday, opening his flask, and taking a swallow. He offered it to Cope and Roosevelt, but both refused it. Younger reached out and grabbed it before it could be offered.
“I have a question, Professor,” said Roosevelt.
“Yes?”
“How did something that big, that awesome, ever die out?”
“That's something we hope to find out.”
“It'd take a lot more than my Winchester to bring something like that down, I'll wager,” said Roosevelt, shooting Holliday a meaningful glance.
“Yeah, I think even cannon fire might just irritate him,” agreed Holliday.
“No need to worry about it,” said Cope. “These babies have been gone for millions of years.” He stared from Roosevelt to Holliday and back again. “You want to see something really interesting?”
“Happy to!” said Roosevelt enthusiastically.
“Sure, why not?” said Holliday.
“Follow me,” said Cope, leading them to the door of the log cabin. “I think it's still light enough that we won't need a candle.”
He opened the door and entered, followed by his two visitors, and walked directly to a huge bone that extended the length of the cabin.
“What the hell is it?” asked Holliday.
“I'm not sure,” said Cope. “It's clearly the femur—the leg bone—of one of the sauropods, but this fellow must have stood twenty, maybetwenty-two feet at the shoulder. We came up with it two days ago, and I'm not leaving this site until we find the rest of him.”
“If you stay in one spot, won't the Comanche be better able to plan an attack, if indeed they're going to attack you in any kind of force?” asked Roosevelt.
“We haven't come upon any human remains there, so maybe they'll realize that it's not part of their burial ground,” answered Cope.
“Wait a minute,” said Roosevelt sharply.
“Yes?” asked Cope.
“You knew that this was a burial ground and you came here anyway?”
“I would go to hell itself in the interest of science, sir,” said Cope harshly.
“Besides,” said Younger, “we're digging up dinosaurs, not Indians. Haven't come to a human skeleton yet.”
“That's not the way it works,” said Holliday.
“Oh?” said Younger.
“I got the train to change its route around a sacred Apache burial ground back in Arizona,” replied Holliday. “If you laid every Apache who'd ever lived end-to-end, you couldn't have reached from one end to the other, but the whole thing was still sacred.”
“Then I'm sorry,” said Cope, “but I can't let that stand in the way of the quest for knowledge. Besides, that's what I've got Cole Younger for.”
“When we got here, he was guarding the bones you'd already found,” noted Holliday, “not the bone-hunters who were out searching for more. I don't think you realize just what kind of danger your expedition is in.”
“It's not a problem,” said Cope with a sudden smile.
“Oh?” said Holliday. “Why not?”
“The notorious Doc Holliday is here now,” said Cope. “One of you will guard the bones and the other will guard the men!”
“That's not what I'm here for,” said Holliday, as Younger gave him an I-could-have-told-you-so grin.
“Name your price!” said Cope.
“Just a minute, Professor,” said Roosevelt. “Let me confer privately with my friend, and perhaps we can work something out.”
Cope nodded his agreement. “I'll be in here, cataloguing some of the finds.”
Roosevelt put an arm around Holliday's shoulders and escorted him out in to the open air, stopping only when he was sure they were far enough away that Cope couldn't hear them.
“What the hell's this about, Theodore?” demanded Holliday. “You know why I'm here.”
“I know.”
“Well, then?” persisted Holliday.
“You heard him, Doc,” said
“Well, now I know why you're digging,” said Holliday, opening his flask, and taking a swallow. He offered it to Cope and Roosevelt, but both refused it. Younger reached out and grabbed it before it could be offered.
“I have a question, Professor,” said Roosevelt.
“Yes?”
“How did something that big, that awesome, ever die out?”
“That's something we hope to find out.”
“It'd take a lot more than my Winchester to bring something like that down, I'll wager,” said Roosevelt, shooting Holliday a meaningful glance.
“Yeah, I think even cannon fire might just irritate him,” agreed Holliday.
“No need to worry about it,” said Cope. “These babies have been gone for millions of years.” He stared from Roosevelt to Holliday and back again. “You want to see something really interesting?”
“Happy to!” said Roosevelt enthusiastically.
“Sure, why not?” said Holliday.
“Follow me,” said Cope, leading them to the door of the log cabin. “I think it's still light enough that we won't need a candle.”
He opened the door and entered, followed by his two visitors, and walked directly to a huge bone that extended the length of the cabin.
“What the hell is it?” asked Holliday.
“I'm not sure,” said Cope. “It's clearly the femur—the leg bone—of one of the sauropods, but this fellow must have stood twenty, maybetwenty-two feet at the shoulder. We came up with it two days ago, and I'm not leaving this site until we find the rest of him.”
“If you stay in one spot, won't the Comanche be better able to plan an attack, if indeed they're going to attack you in any kind of force?” asked Roosevelt.
“We haven't come upon any human remains there, so maybe they'll realize that it's not part of their burial ground,” answered Cope.
“Wait a minute,” said Roosevelt sharply.
“Yes?” asked Cope.
“You knew that this was a burial ground and you came here anyway?”
“I would go to hell itself in the interest of science, sir,” said Cope harshly.
“Besides,” said Younger, “we're digging up dinosaurs, not Indians. Haven't come to a human skeleton yet.”
“That's not the way it works,” said Holliday.
“Oh?” said Younger.
“I got the train to change its route around a sacred Apache burial ground back in Arizona,” replied Holliday. “If you laid every Apache who'd ever lived end-to-end, you couldn't have reached from one end to the other, but the whole thing was still sacred.”
“Then I'm sorry,” said Cope, “but I can't let that stand in the way of the quest for knowledge. Besides, that's what I've got Cole Younger for.”
“When we got here, he was guarding the bones you'd already found,” noted Holliday, “not the bone-hunters who were out searching for more. I don't think you realize just what kind of danger your expedition is in.”
“It's not a problem,” said Cope with a sudden smile.
“Oh?” said Holliday. “Why not?”
“The notorious Doc Holliday is here now,” said Cope. “One of you will guard the bones and the other will guard the men!”
“That's not what I'm here for,” said Holliday, as Younger gave him an I-could-have-told-you-so grin.
“Name your price!” said Cope.
“Just a minute, Professor,” said Roosevelt. “Let me confer privately with my friend, and perhaps we can work something out.”
Cope nodded his agreement. “I'll be in here, cataloguing some of the finds.”
Roosevelt put an arm around Holliday's shoulders and escorted him out in to the open air, stopping only when he was sure they were far enough away that Cope couldn't hear them.
“What the hell's this about, Theodore?” demanded Holliday. “You know why I'm here.”
“I know.”
“Well, then?” persisted Holliday.
“You heard him, Doc,” said
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