Read Weird West 04 - The Doctor and the Dinosaurs for Free Online Page A

be fifty, maybe a hundred miles apart, not desecrating the same burial ground, but digging in different ones,” said Roosevelt, poking the fire with a long stick to get it going again.
    “I suppose so,” said Holliday. “It all depends on what signs they look for, where they know to dig for these bones they're after. Maybe Wyoming's loaded with them from one border to the other, or maybe they're all concentrated within a few miles of where we're sitting.”
    “I wonder what this landscape looked like when the dinosaurs roamed the land,” mused Roosevelt, staring off toward the mountains to the west.
    “You'd better have a damned good reason for being here, or you're about to find out,” said a cold voice from behind them.
    Roosevelt and Holliday turned to face the speaker, a lean man with unkempt black hair and a beard of black stubble. Roosevelt, seeing a gun pointed at them, raised his hands, but Holliday just smiled.
    “Well, hello, Cole,” he said. “When did you become a scientist?”
    The man stared at him, clearly surprised. “Doc?” he said. “What the hell are you doing here?”
    “Mostly, hoping you won't shoot me,” said Holliday.
    The man holstered his gun. “Same old Doc!” he said with a laugh.
    “Theodore,” said Holliday, “say hello to the notorious Cole Younger.”
    “I've read about you,” said Roosevelt.
    “Lies, mostly,” said Younger. “And you are…?”
    “Theodore Roosevelt.”
    Younger's brow furrowed in thought. “You're the guy who made the treaty with Geronimo?” he said at last.
    “I had that honor.” Roosevelt studied him. “I must say that you don't look like your picture.”
    “I've been shot full of holes and served a lot of jail time since I posed for any pictures,” answered Younger. “I used to be able to standup straight. These days I walk kind of hunched over—but at least I'm still here.”
    “And what are you doing out here on a dinosaur hunt?” asked Holliday.
    “Originally I was riding shotgun to keep the Indians at bay,” answered Younger. “But then they hired a couple of other shootists. I don't know if they're any good, but they look like they know what they're doing—and I got put in charge of guarding all the bones.” He laughed again. “Can you imagine what the dime novels will make of that? Cole Younger, guarding a bunch of bones!”
    “We could have walked away with them any time in the last thirty minutes,” said Holliday.
    “I doubt it,” said Younger. “First, you couldn't lift most of the bones we got in that shed. And second, that's where I was taking my afternoon siesta.”
    “Point taken,” said Holliday.
    “Excuse me, Mr. Younger—” began Roosevelt.
    “Just Cole'll do.”
    “Cole,” corrected Roosevelt. “But whose camp is this—Mr. Cope's or Mr. Marsh's?”
    “This is Professor Cope's camp, though he don't much care if you call him ‘Mister’,” answered Younger. “I'm told not calling Marsh ‘Professor’ is a firing offense. Unless you happen to be one of his shootists, that is.”
    “And when is Cope due back?”
    “Maybe half an hour before sunset,” said Younger. “He's got about thirty men out digging with him, plus a couple riding shotgun, and at least one or two trying to foul up Marsh's dig.”
    “Marsh is nearby?” asked Roosevelt.
    “I haven't seen him myself,” answered Younger. “But they say he's about thirty miles north of here…or at least he was four days ago.”
    “How has Mr. Cope's dig been going?” asked Roosevelt.
    “Pulling out a lot of bones, some of which have got him real excited,” said Younger. “But we've got some trouble too.”
    “Oh?”
    Younger nodded. “Marsh has hired a damned good saboteur—that's the real reason I'm watching the bones—and the Comanche have picked off three of our men, and also indulged in a little sabotage against a couple of our wagons.” He paused for a moment. “At least, I think it's them, but it could be Marsh's