In which Uncle Bill develops a new appreciation for fencing

Waiting for Uncle Bill to arrive the next morning felt like waiting forever. They used the time to strengthen the fencing and add more signs to the front gate and buildings to make it very clear that the site was closed, but even so, no one could stop themselves looking up the drive again and again, hoping to see Uncle Bill’s blue Land Rover come into view.

They had taken hour-long shifts to guard the fence during the rest of the afternoon and evening, and through the night Tess and Jake covered 10pm to 2am followed by Grandpa and Dad from 2am to 6am. Mr McArthur had volunteered for the 6am shift as he liked to be up early anyway.

In the case of Dad and Mr McArthur they had been told about the rock fall and the naughty boys from the village trying to get in and both were willing to contribute to the effort. Old Slippers had accepted the leaking roof as an explanation for why the museum had to stay closed, but had told Tess to get it fixed by the end of the day or she would be fired. The kids were worried about this, but she assured them it was an idle threat.

The challenge now was that Dad and Mr McArthur had to be out of the way when Uncle Bill turned up, as no one wanted unhelpful questions about why someone with a horsebox was reversing up to the quarry. It was agreed that Beth and Flora would distract their fathers and mothers with a request to go pony riding at the nearby equestrian centre. They were all safely packed out of the way when Uncle Bill finally turned up at 12.34 – Grandpa’s magic time when all sorts of curious things happened, and in particular lunch (which would have to wait on this occasion).

The dark blue Land Rover was intercepted by a small welcome party as it trundled up the drive with an aged horsebox in tow. It was light blue and green and red all at the same time as all the layers of paint were flaking off.

“Albert!” said the Land Rover as the front door opened. “How good to see you!” It was Uncle Bill, emerging from the cramped confines of the driver’s seat.

“Bill!” said Grandpa, hobbling closer on his crutches. “You have no idea how glad we are to see you…”

“What have you done to yourself?” asked Bill looking at Grandpa’s foot. “It didn’t get you did it?”

“Ha, no! A bit of the cliff did though.”

Bill turned to see Caleb.

“Caleb, my boy! How are you? My, you’ve grown!”

Caleb let the torrent of words flow over him and accepted a pat on the head from Bill’s huge hand. He was used to Uncle Bill’s imposing presence and over-active mouth.

Bill turned to Tess.

“You must be the resident dinosaur expert and partner in crime I have been hearing about,” he declared. Tess smiled, unsure how to reply to the double accusation.

Just then a feeble bleat came from the back of the horsebox. “Ah, that will be Gilbert,” said Bill. “He wants to be introduced too.”

Bill unclipped the top door of the horsebox so they could all see in. A scrawny black goat stood in a corner looking a bit bewildered.

“Stage fright,” said Bill. “Knows it’s his big moment. Just tell us where you want us and we’ll do what’s needed…”

*

Meanwhile Dale, Colin and Shane were having a discussion of their own. They were standing on the edge of a field looking across to the recently erected fence.

“What do you think they are doing?” asked Colin.

“I expect they are just trying to keep people away, while they figure out what to do with it.” Dale was at least smart enough to work this much out.

“We should tell your Dad, Dale. He could have them reported for keeping a dangerous animal without a licence.” This was Shane’s suggestion.

“Yes, and he might finally get his hands on the land if they are put out of business… He’s on a work trip, though. Isn’t back till tomorrow.”

“We could tell the police,” said Colin.

“But they might hear about us stealing the machine…” Dale retorted.

“We should go and let it out tonight! That would teach them,” said Shane.

Colin’s attention was diverted by a movement to their right. “What’s that?” he asked.

They looked across the field to watch the Land Rover and horsebox coming up the drive. They followed its progress through the barrier until it disappeared behind the trees surrounding the pit.

“Don’t tell me they’re going to put it in that little horsebox!” said Dale.

“I think they are going to put it in that little horsebox,” said Colin. Dale elbowed him in the ribs.

“Now we can’t have any more fun with it…” said Shane mournfully.

“Where will they take it?” asked Colin.

“I don’t know,” said Dale. “But I’m going to find out…”

*

They lost no time in showing Bill where to reverse the horsebox so it arrived as close to the top of the quarry stairs as they could get it. They had cleared a few shrubs along a fairly level strip of ground to make this possible.

It was evident that Bill didn’t entirely believe them about the dinosaur. He clearly suspected some kind of elaborate ruse. As he climbed out of the Land Rover and slammed the door he turned towards the edge of the pit and said, “So then, my lovelies, what exactly have you got down there?”

“Come and see,” said Grandpa. “You won’t believe it until you see it…”

They walked up to the rail on the top platform and peered down. The Sarcosaurus was near the centre of the pit, looking down at the quarry floor. When it heard them, it raised its head, opened its mouth and shook itself as though to stimulate its muscles. A low guttural growl emerged. More impressive still was the sharp shadow cast by the sun on the dusty floor, twice as long as the real dinosaur was high, it made a dramatic and unmistakable shape for everyone to see.

“Bleating billy-goats and leaping lizards,” said Uncle Bill slowly. “What have you done this time Albert?”

“I had no idea the machine had that capability,” said Grandpa. “It was a complete surprise.”

Bill continued to stare, mesmerised by the slow movements of the lumbering beast below.

Caleb didn’t like to interrupt but was conscious that time was against them.

“We need to get it into the horsebox and away from here,” he said, looking from Bill to Grandpa.

“Yes,” said Bill, as though waking up from a dream. “What was the plan again?”

Grandpa’s plan was to fix some of the fence panels together to funnel the dinosaur from the top of the stairs into the horsebox. Carefully positioned meat would lead it up the steps and the live goat would tempt it the rest of the way into the box. The tranquilisers could then be fired through the fence and the open door and hey presto. What could possibly go wrong?

The first thing that went wrong was that the ground was so uneven the fencing wouldn’t join together very well and there were big gaps below it, and between it and the horsebox.

“It will have to do,” said Grandpa. “We’ll stay in the Land Rover until we are sure it is in the box and occupied with the goat.”

The second thing that went wrong was that the goat escaped. Thankfully the original barrier they had fixed across the top of the stairs to stop the dinosaur getting out was still there to prevent it becoming a premature snack, but it escaped through a gap in the fence and it took half an hour with everyone helping to corner it again. Though Tess didn’t really do much to help and Caleb never quite satisfied himself that she hadn’t encouraged it to run in the first place.

The next challenge was lowering a fence panel down to where the bottom steps had been destroyed when the dinosaur had attempted to get a mouthful of Dale and his retreating friends. It was a bit flimsy for the purpose and wouldn’t support the beasts weight very well, but they hoped it would give it enough grip to get up to the next platform.

The last few stages of the plan had to all happen in quick succession. The barrier on the second platform from the top had to be removed and those doing it (Jake and Tess) extracted through the fencing. Then the meat had to be dropped onto the stairs at regular intervals from the top of the cliff (Caleb and Grandpa). Everyone had to get into the Land Rover while Bill waited near the back of the horsebox with the tranquiliser gun.

Everything went like clockwork to begin with, and they were all soon sat in the safety of the Land Rover. It reminded Caleb of being on safari in a wildlife park. He just hoped the Land Rover was strong enough to keep out a ravenous carnivore with teeth as long as his index finger.

It was unnerving not to be able to see the dinosaur for several long minutes. The questions started to pile up as they waited: What if it was too scared to go up the stairs? What if it was too heavy for the stairs? How long should they wait before going to check? Caleb had ended up on the bench seat on the driver’s side, just behind the front seat and from where he sat he could see the top platform out of the wing mirror. The minutes passed and eventually the wait became too much.

“Maybe I should go and see what’s happening?” said Jake. “I can always dash back if I see it.”

Outside, Uncle Bill had had the same thought. Caleb saw that he had climbed over the tow bar of the horse box and was walking slowly along the fence line on Caleb’s side of the vehicles to look over the edge and down onto the staircase. He was slightly crouched and holding the gun at the ready. He got close to the handrail, elevated his head slightly and then came back at speed, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder in case anyone was watching, as if to say, “He’s coming!”

A few seconds later Caleb saw the head of the dinosaur appear over the top of the quarry rim. It was moving cautiously, its head turning from side to side as it went. Seeing it now, outside the quarry, suddenly made it feel more real and strange and dangerous. The fences suddenly looked very flimsy.

“Where is the other tranquiliser?” asked Caleb.

“It’s here on the dashboard,” said Grandpa from the passenger seat. “Do you think we might need it?”

The dinosaur dipped its head to guzzle the last portion of old meat on the edge of the platform and then stepped onto the grass. It looked around and then stared ahead for a few moments, taking in the horsebox, Bill beside it and the goat within. For a moment Caleb felt as though it was looking straight at his reflection in the wing mirror. He watched its eyes blink mechanically.

The Sarcosaurus started to move forwards, its movements surprisingly effortless given its bulky limbs. It stopped a few metres from the ramp and continued to stare ahead as though thinking deeply. The goat bleated. Uncle Bill shifted his position.

Looking back, it should have been obvious to everyone what would happen next. If you were a dinosaur and had the choice of a scrawny goat or a large plump biped for your next meal and knew nothing about fences (which after all could be seen through), which would you chose?

The dinosaur suddenly lunged for Uncle Bill with a speed that took their breath away. The fence panel and all those connected to it toppled over in an instant landing right on top of Bill. Of course, this is what ultimately saved him, as the dinosaur couldn’t get its teeth into him because of the wire mesh. He tried to bite down on the side of Bill’s head a number of times before it realised there was something in the way and then it began to claw at the fence in frustration. The mesh bent and twisted but was strong enough to resist.

The action was now taking place on the opposite side of the Land Rover to where Caleb sat and Grandpa did his best to relay to the others what he was seeing in the passenger wing mirror. Once they got over their initial horror, they started to think about what action to take.

“Quick grab the tranquiliser!”

“Pass it to me!”

“Don’t you dare open that door!”

“How does it work?”

Finally, Jake had the tranquiliser in his hands and stepped out of the Land Rover on the opposite side to where Bill was lying beneath the fence. He cautiously worked his way along the length of the horsebox and then slowly put his head round the end.

The dinosaur had given up on trying to get through the mesh and had walked over it and onto the grass beside Bill’s head. It took another swipe at him but Bill had managed to move further towards the centre of the panel and pull all his limbs as close to his body as possible. The dinosaur tried to lift the fencing, which it managed after a fashion, but when it tried to go for Bill it fell down again. The creature lifted its head and screeched in frustration.

This was the moment when Jake came into view and took aim at the creature’s chest.

It was a direct hit.

But of course, tranquilisers take a while to work, so the dinosaur was free to make a dash at his new victim and did so with a passion. Jake was quick to retreat. Thankfully those in the vehicle had left the door open even though it made them feel horribly vulnerable. Jake jumped in and the door was slammed shut much to everyone’s relief, the sound mingling with that of more fencing being pushed over and walked on by something heavy. The dinosaur started to move down the side of the horsebox.

I wonder what you would do in this situation? Would you close your eyes in fear or look at the window where it was likely to appear, so you knew where it was and be ready to take appropriate action? Caleb tried both and it just so happened his eyes were open when the dinosaur’s nose came into view. It took a while before it sensed movement inside and slowly turned to look at them – a moment Caleb will never forget as long as he lives.

But just then it jolted and wheeled round to face the back of the vehicle. Uncle Bill was on his feet again and had got another shot in. Its head seemed to loll and Caleb realised the first tranquiliser dart was starting to take effect. It took a heavy step forward and stopped. Then it keeled over and landed with a dull thud on the grass.

Bill appeared at the driver’s door, opened it, climbed in, sat down and closed his eyes. Inside was so silent you could hear the beating of hearts. And the sudden bleat of a goat.

“Gilbert lives to see another day!” laughed Tess.