Page 31 of Hope’s Enduring Echo

Leo

Leo’s pulse pounded hard and fast. His legs trembled. He slowly lowered himself to a crouch, then dropped to his knees, his gaze never drifting from the row of pale-gray rocks that weren’t rocks at all forming an arched row maybe twenty feet long. He’d seen photographs and hand-drawn images of prehistoric remains in his textbook at school, but they couldn’t compare to seeing it in person. He was certain he was looking at bones from a large Jurassic creature.

Jennie and Mr. DeWeece panted up next to him from opposite directions. Jennie stood and stared, open-mouthed, but Mr. DeWeece caught hold of Leo’s shoulders and half lifted, half pulled him away from the exposed lumpy protrusions.

“You could be on top of its rib cage. Back up. Back up.”

Jennie scrambled backward while Leo regained his footing. They moved several feet away from the find, then stood elbow to elbow. In silence. Almost in reverence, the way he felt in church during times of silent prayer. Except up here, wind slapped the strings from his hat against his chest and tossed Jennie’s braid. Birds scolded from nearby brush. His and his companions’ chests heaved as if they’d all finished a footrace, something he’d never experienced during prayer. But inside him, a hush had fallen, a reaction far beyond anything he’d expected.

Thank You, Lord, for leading me to this place. To this find. To this gift.

“All right, Leo, now the work begins.” Mr. DeWeece’s determined statement trampled the hush, but Leo didn’t mind. He was ready to work. “Unless I miss my guess, these bones are vertebrae. I hope they’re still lined up the way they would have been when the creature fell or lay down here. Not only will it make our task easier, it will paint a more accurate picture of its size.” The man pulled his journal, pencil, and sextant from his knapsack and gave them to Jennie, talking all the while. “Miss Ward and I will visit each of the flags and make note of their coordinates before collecting and wrapping the bones you two found earlier in the week. While we’re doing that, I want you to go to the other side of the creature’s spine. The removal of earth, grass, and roots will start there. After unearthing the length of the spine, we’ll work our way toward what would have been its belly.”

He pulled a leather pouch from his knapsack and plopped it into Leo’s hands. “This contains tools for extraction. Use the coarsest brush and scrape away as much earth as possible from the knobby side of each bone. Keep in mind, as you remove dirt, you’ll likely uncover more bones. Keep going until you run out of them. If it’s intact from head to tail, it could extend for sixty to eighty feet.”

Leo tried to imagine such a thing, but he couldn’t conjure it. He gripped the pouch and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Now, remember, give a wide berth as you go. Move slowly and look before you step. You don’t want to inadvertently trample a part of the skeleton.”

Leo thought his heart had pounded when he encountered single bones. That pound was a mere flutter compared to what was happening in his chest now. He had trouble drawing a full breath. He’d thanked God for the find—now he thanked Him for Mr. DeWeece. He needed the man’s knowledge and experience. He gasped out, “Yes, sir. I’ll be careful.”

Mr. DeWeece gave him a clap on the shoulder and grinned. “Well done, Leo. Well done. You found it. I’m proud of you.”

Basking in the man’s affirmation, Leo set to work. And work it was. Hard work, but satisfying work. Sweat dribbled into his eyes, but he wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt and continued brushing, scraping, plucking grass. Mr. DeWeece and Jennie finished their recording and packaging and joined him. They stopped long enough to eat the sandwiches Mrs. Ward had sent with them, and then they returned to work. By late afternoon, they’d exposed what Mr. DeWeece deemed the sacrum, two cervical vertebrae, ten dorsal vertebrae, and a dozen caudal vertebrae, as well as several inches of three dorsal ribs of a Jurassic herbivore.

“What’s an herbivore?” Jennie asked as the three of them gathered up their supplies and organized them for the walk back to the cabin.

Mr. DeWeece lobbed a smile in her direction. “Dinosaurs are classified as either herbivores or carnivores—plant eaters or meat eaters, respectively. Predominantly, herbivores walked on four legs rather than two. The spine on this one reminds me of a skeleton found in the 1870s. It proved to be a plant-eating dinosaur. Fossil-hunter Othniel Marsh named it Brontosaurus excelsus, which means ‘noble thunder lizard.’?”

Jennie grinned. “Noble thunder lizard…I like that.”

The man chuckled. “Yes, well, as large as it was, when it walked by, it probably sounded and felt like thunder was rumbling somewhere.”

Leo shrugged into his knapsack, looking at the bones they had unearthed. “Do you think this is a brontosaurus?”

Mr. DeWeece glanced at the exposed bones as he tugged the strap on his pack and gave it a pat. “I don’t honestly know yet, Leo. We’ll know more when we’re able to uncover more of the skeleton.” He started down the rise, and Leo and Jennie fell into step behind him.

“Mr. DeWeece,” Jennie said, “how long will it take to dig it all up?”

Leo grinned at Jennie. She’d been quiet earlier in the day, seemingly cowed by Mr. DeWeece’s presence. But she had shed her shyness. He was glad she asked questions, because he was interested in the answers, too.

The businessman sent a sheepish grin over his shoulder. “It could be weeks or it could be months, depending on how deeply the skeleton is buried and how many hours I can carve away from work each day. To protect the site, I’ll come out tomorrow with a few men who’ve helped me on previous explorations and cover the area with a tent.”

Leo wanted to participate in every bit of the process of uncovering the skeleton, which included erecting the tent, but his conscience wouldn’t allow it.

“Leo, we’ll take the midday train if you’d like to join us.”

Startled, Leo stumbled, then caught himself. “Did you say the midday train?”

DeWeece’s head bobbed in a nod. “That’s right.”

The midday train left at one. He’d still be able to go to church in the morning. “Yes, sir! Shall I meet you at the train station?”

“That will be perfect.”

Leo gave a satisfied nod. Yes, it would be. He smiled all the way down the hill.

At the cabin, Mr. DeWeece and Leo thanked Mrs. Ward for providing their lunch. Mr. DeWeece passed the cloth-wrapped single bones Leo and Jennie had discovered to Jennie for sketching. He teasingly assured her he didn’t expect to retrieve the renderings tomorrow, and Jennie teased back that the sooner she got it done, the happier her mother would be. “And they’ll be safer from Rags if they’re with you,” she added, gesturing to the exuberant puppy tossing a knotted-up clothing article around in the yard. The man feigned worry and they all laughed.

Mr. DeWeece tipped his hat. “Take all the time you need, Miss Ward. I trust you’ll take good care of these priceless specimens.” He turned toward the footbridge. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, ladies.”

Mrs. Ward and Jennie said goodbye, and Leo and Mr. DeWeece headed to the footbridge to wait for the train. They stepped over the track, removed their packs, and leaned against the rock wall. Leo sighed, physically spent but still wound up from the wonderful day. When he got back to the hotel, he intended to call his parents and tell them he’d done what he’d set out to do—he had discovered a dinosaur skeleton. How he hoped they’d be happy for him.

“I’m curious about something…” DeWeece’s musing tone captured Leo’s attention. “When we stopped by the Wards’ cabin last week to inquire about Miss Ward joining us, her mother commented that the girl does enough walking Monday through Friday. What exactly does she do that requires so much walking?”

Leo scrambled to find a plausible reason without giving away her family’s secret, but he didn’t want to tell a falsehood. “Well, she…uh…” Nothing came to mind.

Mr. DeWeece shifted, propping himself against the wall with his shoulder, and faced Leo. “Is Jennie Ward performing the inspection duty for the pipeline on a daily basis?”

Leo couldn’t respond with anything but the truth to such a direct question. But his throat had closed up. He pursed his lips and nodded.

“I see.” The man turned forward again. He fell silent, chewing the edge of his mustache.

Leo waited, tense, but when several minutes passed without further queries, he released a relieved breath, grateful to let the subject lie.

“I presume,” Mr. DeWeece suddenly said, “from the women’s excitement over the pair of men’s boots you delivered that day, Mrs. Ward also inspects the line.”

Leo wished they would talk about dinosaur bones instead of discussing the Ward family’s activities. He’d be a traitor if he told what he knew and a liar if he refused to answer. But hadn’t he learned over the past few weeks that Mr. DeWeece was a reasonable man? Surely, he would understand why the women in the family had assumed responsibility for the line’s inspection.

He stepped away from the wall and stared across the river toward the Wards’ cabin. “Sir, Mr. Ward took a terrible fall and broke his leg. Unfortunately, it didn’t heal correctly, which affected his ability to walk long distances.”

“Yes, I heard something about an accident at one of the city administration meetings. I believe they sent out a substitute inspector for a few weeks while Mr. Ward recovered. It was quite a while ago, though.” DeWeece moved next to Leo and fixed him with a concerned look. “I didn’t realize he was still struggling.”

Leo gritted his teeth for a moment. “Well, he is. Before his accident, Jennie often accompanied her father on the route. She learned what to watch for and how to report it so the repairmen could be prepared when they came out to address damages. I can assure you, the pipeline receives diligent attention.”

The man looked across the river, too. “I don’t doubt their diligence. Granted, the water supply to Canon City has suffered a few delays over the years, especially during the winter months when pipelines are prone to freeze. But considering its construction, occasional issues are to be expected. There hasn’t been an adverse increase in delays over the past months, which would be a sign of neglect.” He went on as if speaking to himself. “The family is handling the responsibility. But to have a pair of women performing such a strenuous duty, particularly when the weather turns frigid…”

Leo touched the man’s elbow. “Sir?” Mr. DeWeece shifted his gaze to Leo. “The Ward family depends on the income from the Water Works Department. Given Mr. Ward’s…” What should he call it? He would not divulge the deeper reason Mr. Ward didn’t walk the line. “Well, his infirmities, he might not be able to find another job. If he’s released from being the linewalker, the family loses not only their source of income but also their place to live. You…you won’t say anything, will you?”

Mr. DeWeece’s brows tipped inward. He didn’t look angry—just seemed merely puzzled. “To be honest, Leo, I’m a little surprised that you support their duplicity. They are, in essence, misleading the Water Works Department.”

Leo hung his head. He’d grappled with his conscience about keeping their secret. Maybe it was wrong, but they trusted him. He couldn’t betray their trust. “The women are only doing it until Mr. Ward is able again.”

“I see.”

The familiar vibrations and rumbles alerted them to the approaching train. Mr. DeWeece flagged it down, and the two of them boarded. They sat across the aisle from each other, leaned against opposite windows, and remained quiet for the ride. At the station, Mr. DeWeece reminded Leo to meet him tomorrow at one, then headed off. Leo hoped they’d put to rest the subject of the linewalker for good.

At the hotel, he put his knapsack away and changed out of his hiking clothes. Then he went to the lobby and asked permission to use the telephone. The concierge slid the telephone his way, then said, “Since you’re here, I’m going to go out front and have a cigarette. I’ll watch for new guests and come in with them as needed.” He sauntered off.

Leo took advantage of the privacy and requested connection to his family’s home from the switchboard operator. After a single ring, he heard his father’s rich baritone voice say, “Hello. Reverend Day speaking.”

A knot filled Leo’s throat, a mix of loneliness and apprehension. “Hello, Father. It’s Leo.”

“Good evening, Leo.” Warmth underscored his tone, decreasing Leo’s apprehension. “Mother, girls? It’s Leo on the phone.”

Leo heard a squeal, the patter of feet, then a rustle.

“Leo? It’s Daisy.” She sounded breathless, and a smile tugged at Leo’s cheek. He envisioned her as he recalled her on Saturday nights—clad in a cotton nightgown, her blond hair in pin curls, her beloved rag doll tucked in the bend of her arm. “Are you calling to tell me happy birthday? It’s not until next week, but you can tell me early. I don’t mind.”

A muffled argument ensued, then—“Leo, hello!” Apparently, Myrtle had wrestled the earpiece from her sister. “I sent a letter yesterday. You didn’t get it already, did you?”

“No, I didn’t, but I’m sure I will soon. Have you received my postcards?”

“Yes, three of them, but I’ll gladly take more. I want to make a whole display on my new bulletin board. ” The emphasis came through loud and clear. If she’d been given a bulletin board for the purpose of pinning up postcards, he’d better send more.

“I’ll see what I can do. Please tell Daisy I’ll call on her birthday. May I talk to Father now?”

“Mother is here now.”

He listened to more rustling and whispers while hoping he’d have a chance to tell his parents about the dinosaur find before the concierge returned and he had to clear the line.

“Leo?” Mother’s sweet voice brought a rush of longing for home. “How are you doing? We pray you’re well.”

“I’m fine, Mother.” A couple entered the lobby from the dining room and passed the desk to the stairs. He watched them go up the spindled stairway as he spoke. “In fact, I’m better than fine. Can Father hear me, too?”

“I can. I’m right here.”

Leo leaned closer to the telephone’s mouthpiece. “Today when I explored with Mr. DeWeece—he’s the businessman I wrote to you about, remember?—we made an incredible discovery. Mr. DeWeece said it’s the spine of a large plant-eating dinosaur. We only uncovered a portion of the spine and a few ribs so far, but he is confident we’ll find much of the creature’s skeleton intact as the excavation continues. He’s going to write an article about the find for a science magazine, and if it’s published, I will be credited as one of the discoverers.” His mouth felt dry. He licked his lips, swallowed, and went on. “He said I can participate in the excavation, too. I’m learning so much from him. I really believe God orchestrated our meeting, just as He orchestrated my meeting with the Ward family. It’s been an amazing summer so far. As much as I miss all of you, I’m grateful I came. Thank you for allowing it.”

For a few seconds, he heard only breathing from the other end of the line. Then, “You’re welcome, Leo.” Father’s voice, husky and kind. “We’re grateful it’s been a good experience. We had planned to call the hotel tomorrow afternoon and ask if you’d come home next week to celebrate Daisy’s tenth birthday. It’s the only thing she asked for.”

Guilt stabbed.

“But it sounds as if you’ll be quite busy with an excavation,” Father went on. “So would you object if we change our plans?”

Leo’s pulse skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

“What if”—Mother was speaking now—“we treat Daisy to a train ride for her birthday and come see you? We could stay at the hotel, meet Mr. DeWeece and the Ward family.”

“Maybe even visit the excavation site.”

Leo pulled the earpiece from his ear and stared at it. Had Father truly mentioned visiting the site? He smashed it against his head again and spluttered, “Th-that would be wonderful.”

Laughter trickled through the line—Mother had taken over again. “Good! Daisy’s birthday is the twenty-eighth. We’ll plan to arrive on the twenty-seventh. One of us will call on Monday and confirm the plans.”

Leo laughed, stunned by this sudden turn. “I can’t wait to see all of you.” The concierge came in with a gentleman. Leo needed to get off the telephone. “I’ll talk to you on Monday. I love you. Goodbye.” He placed the earpiece in its cradle and strode out of the lobby, his heart so light he might as well have been floating.