Fossil Hunters Read online

  Marilyn Helmer

  illustrated by Dermot Walshe

  ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

  For my good friend Judith,

  and especially for Lily and Sophie.

  Text copyright © 2009 Marilyn Helmer

  Illustrations copyright © 2009 Dermot Walshe

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Helmer, Marilyn

  The fossil hunters / Marilyn Helmer ; illustrated by Dermot Walshe.

  (Orca echoes)

  ISBN 978-1-55469-191-3

  I.†Walshe, Dermot, 1962- II. Title. III.†Series:†Orca echoes

  PS8565.E4594F68 2009 jC813’.54 C2009-904579-6

  First published in the United States, 2009

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2009932876

  Summary: Shelley feels left out when she visits her cousin Kyle at his lakeside cottage and finds that his friend Marcus is staying there too.

  Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

  Cover artwork and interior illustrations by Dermot Walshe

  ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

  PO BOX 5626, STN. B PO BOX 468

  VICTORIA, BC CANADA CUSTER, WA USA

  V8R 6S4 98240-0468

  www.orcabook.com

  Printed and bound in Canada.

  12 11 10 09 • 4 3 2 1

  Contents

  Chapter One: Where is Kyle?

  Chapter Two: Another Guest

  Chapter Three: A Rainy Day

  Chapter Four: Left Out

  Chapter Five: The Fossil Hunters Club

  Chapter Six: That’s Some Find!

  Chapter Seven: A Visit to Applegate Farm

  Chapter Eight: Something Lost

  Chapter Nine: Gone

  Chapter Ten: Guilty?

  Chapter Eleven: A Surprise

  Chapter Twelve: Found and Lost

  Chapter Thirteen: Lucky Day

  Chapter Fourteen: Something Special

  Chapter One

  Where Is Kyle?

  Shelley couldn’t sit still. “How much longer until we get there?” she asked.

  “That’s the twenty-hundredth time you’ve asked,” said Dad.

  Shelley giggled. “Dad, there’s no such number as twenty-hundredth,” she said.

  “We’ll be there soon,” said Mom.

  Shelley sighed. “Soon” was taking much too long. She couldn’t wait to get to Gray Rocks Lake and see Aunt Joan and Uncle Ray. And Topper. But most of all, she couldn’t wait to see her cousin Kyle.

  Last summer, Shelley and Kyle went swimming, hiking, paddleboating and picnicking. They built forts and made a tree house and played explorers. They even had their own special club. It was called The Beach Club. Shelley had thought up the name because the beach was their favorite place to play.

  “Look, Shelley,” said Mom. She pointed to a sign on the road.

  “Gray Rocks Lake,” Shelley cheered. “Yay! We’re almost there.”

  A few minutes later, Dad turned onto a grassy driveway. Shelley scrambled out of the car. “We’re here!” she shouted.

  The screen door flew open, and Uncle Ray and Aunt Joan rushed out.

  Everyone hugged and kissed. But where was Kyle? I’ll bet he’s hiding until the hugging and kissing is over, thought Shelley.

  A friendly brown dog ran out of the bushes.

  “Topper!” cried Shelley. Topper wiggled and wagged. She dropped a rubber ball at Shelley’s feet. The ball had once been white. Now it was gray. It was lumpy and lopsided. She barked for Shelley to throw the ball.

  Shelley picked up the ball and threw it across the grass. Topper raced after it.

  “She’s happy to see you,” said Aunt Joan. “She misses Kyle.”

  Misses Kyle? Shelley’s heart sank. Where was Kyle?

  Chapter Two

  Another Guest

  “Kyle has been away all week at his friend’s cottage,” said Aunt Joan.

  “He’ll be back this afternoon,” said Uncle Ray.

  Shelley breathed a huge sigh of relief. Spending a whole week with only adults for company wasn’t what she had been expecting.

  Dad and Uncle Ray went to get the luggage. Mom and Aunt Joan went inside. Shelley stayed outside to play with Topper.

  After a while, Shelley’s arm got sore. She sat down at the picnic table. “I’m sorry, Topper,” she said. “I’m too tired to play ball anymore.”

  Topper lay down at Shelley’s feet. She put her head between her paws.

  “I’ll play with you again later,” said Shelley.

  A car turned onto the driveway. Topper’s ears perked up. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed her ball.

  The car door swung open, and Kyle jumped out. He had a big smile on his face.

  Shelley ran to meet him. She felt happy all the way to her fingertips. We’re going to have so much fun together! she thought.

  Then, to Shelley’s surprise, another boy stepped out of the car. He stared at Shelley. He was not smiling.

  “Marcus, come meet my cousin Shelley,” Kyle called.

  Marcus walked over slowly. “Hi,” he muttered. He looked at Shelley. “How old are you?”

  “I’m eight,” said Shelley.

  “I’m ten,” said Marcus. “You’re just a kid.”

  “I am not a kid,” Shelley declared. She decided she did not like Marcus very much. She wished he would get back in his car and go home.

  A woman got out of the car too. She took a suitcase from the trunk. “Kyle, come and get your suitcase,” she called.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Kyle said to Shelley.

  The screen door opened. Aunt Joan came out. “Hi, Beth,” she called. “Will you come in for a cup of tea?”

  The woman shook her head. “Thanks, Joan, but I have to get back,” she said. “We have company coming tonight.”

  Shelley almost cheered out loud. Yay! Marcus would be going home now.

  Marcus’s mom reached into the trunk again. She took out another suitcase. She gave it to Marcus. “Have fun,” she said. “I’ll be back to pick you up at the end of the week.”

  Shelley almost groaned out loud. Marcus was staying for the whole week?

  “These three are going to have a great time together,” said Aunt Joan.

  Marcus scowled at Shelley. Shelley scowled back. Something told her this week was going to be anything but fun.

  Chapter Three

  A Rainy Day

  Dad knocked on the bedroom door. “Come on, Sleepyhead,” he called. “Everyone else is up already.”

  Shelley yawned. She felt tired and grumpy. Kyle and Marcus had kept her awake last night, giggling and talking in the next room.

  “Last call to breakfast,” Uncle Ray shouted from the kitchen.

  “Better hurry,” said Dad.

  Shelley rolled out of bed. She looked out the window. Oh no! Rain pelted against the glass. That meant no swimming, boating, hiking or picnicking. It meant no exploring or building forts and clubhouses. It meant an indoor day.

  Shelley remembered a rainy day last summer. They’d had a Monopoly tournament. Everyone joined in. They made popcorn. They toasted marshmallows and made s’mo
res in the fireplace. A rainy day could be a fun day too. Shelley didn’t feel tired or grumpy anymore.

  After breakfast, Shelley helped with the dishes. Topper came into the kitchen. She had her old gray ball. She went to the door and looked back at Shelley. Topper wanted to play outside.

  Shelley scratched Topper’s ears. “I’ll play fetch with you when it stops raining,” she said. “Right now I’m going to get everyone to play Monopoly.”

  Shelley went looking for Kyle. He and Marcus were in the living room. Cardboard boxes and pieces of wood littered the floor.

  Kyle looked up. “We’re making a city,” he said. “It’s going to be huge. Do you want to help?”

  “There isn’t room for three people to work on it,” said Marcus.

  “Sure there is,” said Kyle. He pushed aside markers and scissors and scraps to make room for Shelley.

  Shelley picked up a tall box. “I can make a neat apartment building with this,” she said.

  “You can’t use that,” said Marcus. “It’s part of my garage.”

  “Here, Shelley,” said Kyle. He held out a piece of cardboard. “You can make the road signs for our city.”

  “I don’t want to make road signs,” said Shelley. “Let’s play Monopoly instead.”

  Chapter Four

  Left Out

  “Kyle and I are too busy to play kid’s games,” said Marcus.

  “Monopoly is not a kid’s game,” Shelley declared. “Last summer everyone played.”

  “So go play with everyone else,” said Marcus. “Kyle and I are busy.”

  Shelley was mad and sad. Marcus was the meanest person she had ever met. She felt like stomping on his garage.

  “We can all play together as soon as Marcus and I finish our city,” said Kyle.

  Everyone else was busy too. Uncle Ray was working at his computer. Dad was sorting his fishing gear. Mom and Aunt Joan had gone into town. There was no one to play Monopoly with.

  Shelley went out to the porch. The rain had stopped. She felt a thump against her leg. Topper looked up at her.

  “Do you want to play with me?” Shelley asked.

  As soon as Topper heard the word “play,” her tail whipped back and forth in delight. Then she stuck her head under the table and grabbed her ball.

  “Let’s go play fetch,” said Shelley. Topper followed her outside.

  A while later, Kyle and Marcus came out. They joined in the game too.

  Topper yelped with excitement. Now she had three people to play fetch with.

  It was Shelley’s turn to throw the ball. Topper caught it before it hit the ground.

  “You have to throw harder,” said Marcus. “Watch this.” He threw Topper’s ball. The ball flew far into the bushes. Topper raced after it.

  A car door closed. Shelley’s mom and Aunt Joan were back from town. “We stopped at the deli,” Mom said. “Come and have some lunch.”

  By the time they finished eating, the sun was out. “Who wants to go for a hike?” asked Aunt Joan. “There’s a new boardwalk that goes all the way around Fossil Lake.”

  Everyone scrambled for their boots and shoes. “Come with us in our car,” Kyle said to Shelley.

  “Okay,” said Shelley. She climbed into the backseat between Marcus and Kyle.

  “I can’t wait to get to Fossil Lake,” said Marcus. “I want to look for more fossils for my collection.”

  “Fossil Lake is a conservation area,” said Uncle Ray. “No one is allowed to collect fossils there.”

  Marcus looked disappointed.

  “We can look for fossils at Rocky Beach,” said Kyle. “It’s just down the road from our cottage.”

  “All right!” Marcus cheered. “I won first prize for my fossils at the hobby fair. I got a blue ribbon, and my picture was in the newspaper.” Marcus leaned around Shelley. “Let’s go to Rocky Beach tomorrow,” he said to Kyle.

  Kyle looked at Shelley. “Do you want to come too?”

  Shelley could think of several things she would rather do than go fossil hunting. But she was not going to be left out again. “I’ll come,” she said.

  Chapter Five

  The Fossil Hunters

  Club

  Shelley woke early the next morning. She was finishing breakfast when Kyle and Marcus came into the kitchen.

  “Guess what, Shelley?” said Kyle. “Marcus and I have a club. Do you want to join?”

  “It’s called The Fossil Hunters Club,” said Marcus. “It was my idea.”

  “Kyle and I already have a club,” said Shelley. “It’s called The Beach Club.”

  “That’s a baby name,” said Marcus. “The Fossil Hunters Club is much better.”

  “The Fossil Hunters Club will be fun,” said Kyle. “If you join, we’ll have three members.”

  “Okay, I’ll join,” said Shelley.

  “Do you even know what a fossil is?” asked Marcus.

  “Of course I do,” Shelley declared. “We learned about them at school. You should see the ones my teacher brought in.”

  “You should see my fossil collection,” said Marcus. “I won first prize at the hobby fair last year.”

  “You already told us that,” said Shelley.

  Aunt Joan came into the kitchen. “Where are you three off to this morning?” she asked.

  “We’re going to Rocky Beach,” said Marcus.

  “To look for fossils,” Shelley added.

  “Remember the number-one rule,” said Aunt Joan.

  “No going in the water by ourselves,” said Shelley.

  Aunt Joan grinned. “Have a good time,” she said. “I hope you make some great finds.”

  “You should see my fossil collection, Mrs. Sutton,” said Marcus. “I won first prize at the hobby fair last year.”

  Shelley rolled her eyes. How many times was she going to hear about Marcus’s fossils? “I’m going to play with Topper while you two finish eating,” she said. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

  At the sound of her name, Topper scrambled to her feet. Shelley opened the door, and Topper dashed outside.

  “Where’s your ball?” asked Shelley.

  Topper raced off. She was gone a long time.

  When Shelley finally called her, Topper rushed out of the bushes.

  “Where’s your ball?” Shelley asked again.

  Topper looked up at Shelley and whimpered.

  Shelley crouched down. “Oh, Topper,” she said, “have you lost your favorite ball?”

  Chapter Six

  That’s Some Find!

  “Shelley, where are you?” Kyle shouted.

  Shelley stepped out of the bushes. “Topper lost her ball,” she said. “I’m helping her look for it.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Kyle. “Topper always finds her ball.” He headed for the road. “We’re going to Rocky Beach now. Are you coming with us?”

  “We can help Topper look for her ball when we get back,” Marcus called over his shoulder.

  Shelley stared after him. Was Marcus actually being nice for a change? She hurried to catch up.

  When Marcus saw Rocky Beach, his eyes lit up. “This is a great place to look for fossils!” he said.

  “There must be a gazillion rocks on this beach,” said Shelley.

  Kyle and Marcus didn’t answer. They were already busy searching.

  Shelley looked too. She found a couple of rocks with squiggly lines on them. She showed them to Kyle. He thought they were neat, so she gave them to him.

  After a while, Shelley was bored. She sat down on a large rock. Beyond, the lake sparkled under the bright sun. Waves slapped up against the shore.

  Something caught Shelley’s eye. It was an old fishing net, washed up on the rocks.

  Shelley went to take a closer look. Suddenly her foot skidded. She looked down. Her foot had pushed up a small pile of rocks. Wait. What was that?

  Shelley grabbed one of the rocks. It was lumpy and gray. It reminded Shelley of something, but she couldn’t th
ink what. But that didn’t matter, because on the rock was the perfect imprint of a tiny shell.

  Shelley turned the rock over. She gasped. On the other side was an amazing fossil. It looked like a miniature tree with twisted branches. Beside it were two tiny shells that almost looked like leaves.

  “Kyle! Marcus! Look what I found,” Shelley yelled.

  Marcus and Kyle scrambled over to see.

  “Wow!” said Kyle. “That’s the coolest fossil I’ve ever seen!”

  Marcus stared at the rock in Shelley’s hand. “That’s coral,” he said. “Where did you find it?”

  “Right there,” said Shelley, pointing to the small pile of rocks.

  In a flash, Marcus was on his hands and knees.

  Shelley and Kyle searched too. They found a few small pieces of fossilized coral, but nothing compared with the rock Shelley had found.

  “Any luck?” a voice called.

  Shelley looked up. Dad and Uncle Ray were coming along the road. Topper raced ahead of them.

  Shelley ran to meet them. “Look what I found,” she whooped.

  Uncle Ray examined the rock. “That’s some find!” he said.

  Dad grinned. “Shelley, that has to be the find of the day!” he declared.

  Chapter Seven

  A Visit To Applegate Farm

  Topper jumped up. She sniffed at the fossil rock. Then she licked it.

  Kyle laughed. “Topper thinks your fossil rock is cool too,” he said.

  Marcus kept staring at Shelley’s rock. I’ll bet he wishes he had found it, she thought.

  “It’s lunchtime,” said Uncle Ray. “This afternoon we’re going to Applegate Farm.”

  “Yay!” Shelley cheered. “I want to see the animals.”

  “I like the horses best,” said Kyle.

  “I like the pigs best,” said Shelley.

  “Yuck!” said Marcus. “Pigs stink.”

  “The babies don’t,” said Shelley. “They are my favorite.”