better go,” Dink said. “Want to meet Jud, Mr. Pocket?”
“Not right now,” Mr. Pocket said. “Randolph and I need our lunch and a nap. Thanks for your help.”
The kids took Pal and ran toward the red car. It stopped and a tall young man got out. He had dark, curly hair and broad shoulders. He was wearing a T-shirt, cutoff jeans, and red high-top sneakers.
“That’s not Jud,” Dink said as they approached the man.
CHAPTER 2
The man turned and waved. “Hi. You must be Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. I’m Scoop Raker. I work with Jud and his friend Dean. They should be here any minute.”
Scoop raised the hood of his car, and more steam billowed out. He took a jug of water from the front seat, then unscrewed the radiator cap. Suddenly he yelled and stuck his finger in his mouth.
“You’d think I’d learn by now,” Scoop said, shaking his head. He pulled a Band-Aid from his pocket, removedthe covering, and wrapped the green Band-Aid around his finger.
Just then a long flatbed truck pulled up alongside Scoop’s car. A brown tarp covered the truck bed, concealing something big and lumpy. The whole thing was tied down with ropes.
The driver’s door opened and a tall, lanky guy hopped to the ground. He waswearing jeans, a short-sleeve shirt, and a cowboy hat. “Howdy,” the man said, beaming at Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose.
“Hi, Jud!” they all said at once.
A man stepped out of the passenger’s side of the truck. He was short and wiry and had black hair tied in a ponytail. He wore work boots, baggy shorts, and a flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off.
“Guys, I’d like you to meet my roommate and best friend, Dean Whitefeather,” Jud said. “Dean, this is Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose.”
Dean walked around the truck toward the kids. He had a friendly smile and dark eyes. His shirt pocketwas filled with pens. A ring of keys on his belt jangled when he walked.
The kids shook hands with Dean. Then Jud and Dean made a fuss over Pal, who gave them both big, wet kisses.
“Well, what say we get busy?” Dean said, glancing at the sky. “Rain by midnight, I’ll bet.” He started untying the ropes.
Scoop climbed back into his car. “I passed the hotel on the way in,” he said. “I’ll go check on our room.” He drove away, with only a little steam escaping from under the hood.
“Can we help?” Ruth Rose asked.
Dean smiled at her. “My three favorite words,” he said.
“You guys can coil these ropes as we untie them,” Jud said. “Just lay ‘em on the ground.”
Josh told Pal to stay, and the kids pitched in. After a few minutes, the ropes had all been removed. Dean andJud yanked the tarp to the ground.
When Dink saw what had made all those lumps, he jumped back. He was staring right at the head of a Tyrannosaurus rex!
“Meet Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus,” laughed Jud. “He looks even better when he’s not in pieces.”
Dink gulped. “Where did you get it?” he asked.
“We bought him,” Jud said.
Josh grinned. “From a dinosaur store?” he joked.
“No, from the man who built Tyrone,” Dean said. “He planned to start a dinosaur theme park, but he lost interest. He put an ad in the paper, and we saw it and bought Tyrone and the truck.”
“Um, why do you need a dinosaur?” Ruth Rose asked.
“To raise money,” Jud said. “Dean and I want to teach kids about the dinosaursthat used to live in Montana. We’ve decided to build a little museum on a piece of land behind the dude ranch.”
“And Tyrone will be the star attraction,” Dean added.
“When we first saw Tyrone, he was in the guy’s barn all in pieces like you see him now. I developed a computer program to make him move and talk. We make money by taking him around the country and collecting donations.”
“Is Scoop a teacher, too?” asked Dink.
“No, we met Scoop in Wyoming. He was looking for work, so we hired him,” Jud said. “He’s in charge of hotel rooms, getting permission for us to set
“Not right now,” Mr. Pocket said. “Randolph and I need our lunch and a nap. Thanks for your help.”
The kids took Pal and ran toward the red car. It stopped and a tall young man got out. He had dark, curly hair and broad shoulders. He was wearing a T-shirt, cutoff jeans, and red high-top sneakers.
“That’s not Jud,” Dink said as they approached the man.
CHAPTER 2
The man turned and waved. “Hi. You must be Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. I’m Scoop Raker. I work with Jud and his friend Dean. They should be here any minute.”
Scoop raised the hood of his car, and more steam billowed out. He took a jug of water from the front seat, then unscrewed the radiator cap. Suddenly he yelled and stuck his finger in his mouth.
“You’d think I’d learn by now,” Scoop said, shaking his head. He pulled a Band-Aid from his pocket, removedthe covering, and wrapped the green Band-Aid around his finger.
Just then a long flatbed truck pulled up alongside Scoop’s car. A brown tarp covered the truck bed, concealing something big and lumpy. The whole thing was tied down with ropes.
The driver’s door opened and a tall, lanky guy hopped to the ground. He waswearing jeans, a short-sleeve shirt, and a cowboy hat. “Howdy,” the man said, beaming at Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose.
“Hi, Jud!” they all said at once.
A man stepped out of the passenger’s side of the truck. He was short and wiry and had black hair tied in a ponytail. He wore work boots, baggy shorts, and a flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off.
“Guys, I’d like you to meet my roommate and best friend, Dean Whitefeather,” Jud said. “Dean, this is Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose.”
Dean walked around the truck toward the kids. He had a friendly smile and dark eyes. His shirt pocketwas filled with pens. A ring of keys on his belt jangled when he walked.
The kids shook hands with Dean. Then Jud and Dean made a fuss over Pal, who gave them both big, wet kisses.
“Well, what say we get busy?” Dean said, glancing at the sky. “Rain by midnight, I’ll bet.” He started untying the ropes.
Scoop climbed back into his car. “I passed the hotel on the way in,” he said. “I’ll go check on our room.” He drove away, with only a little steam escaping from under the hood.
“Can we help?” Ruth Rose asked.
Dean smiled at her. “My three favorite words,” he said.
“You guys can coil these ropes as we untie them,” Jud said. “Just lay ‘em on the ground.”
Josh told Pal to stay, and the kids pitched in. After a few minutes, the ropes had all been removed. Dean andJud yanked the tarp to the ground.
When Dink saw what had made all those lumps, he jumped back. He was staring right at the head of a Tyrannosaurus rex!
“Meet Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus,” laughed Jud. “He looks even better when he’s not in pieces.”
Dink gulped. “Where did you get it?” he asked.
“We bought him,” Jud said.
Josh grinned. “From a dinosaur store?” he joked.
“No, from the man who built Tyrone,” Dean said. “He planned to start a dinosaur theme park, but he lost interest. He put an ad in the paper, and we saw it and bought Tyrone and the truck.”
“Um, why do you need a dinosaur?” Ruth Rose asked.
“To raise money,” Jud said. “Dean and I want to teach kids about the dinosaursthat used to live in Montana. We’ve decided to build a little museum on a piece of land behind the dude ranch.”
“And Tyrone will be the star attraction,” Dean added.
“When we first saw Tyrone, he was in the guy’s barn all in pieces like you see him now. I developed a computer program to make him move and talk. We make money by taking him around the country and collecting donations.”
“Is Scoop a teacher, too?” asked Dink.
“No, we met Scoop in Wyoming. He was looking for work, so we hired him,” Jud said. “He’s in charge of hotel rooms, getting permission for us to set
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