Free The Time Hackers by Gary Paulsen Page B

you will instruct Frank to kick the ground several times, whereupon you will discover a small, half-rotted wooden chest buried in a shallow hole.”
    “What's in it?”
    “Confederate gold coins that a small group of men were taking west in the last year of the Civil War to start a small army in Mexico. They were waylaid by bandits and all of the men on both sides were either killed right there or died of their wounds a short time later. It's important that Frank discover it because he gets half of the gold, and that way your parents won't object because it's on your land.”
    “Did you … I mean, were you… I guess I want to know how those men died.”
    “I see. No, I didn't hurt them. As I told you, I hate violence. They killed each other. All I did was move the gold from where they initially buried it, which is now under a freeway overpass seven miles south of town. I promise.”
    “You talk like this is a lot of gold.”
    “Well, I guess that depends on what you consider a lot. By some standards it's not so much, but it should put you through college, both of you, and your sister and Frank's brothers and sisters, and set you up in business if that's what you want. In today's market, with gold better than forty-four hundred dollars an ounce or about seventy thousand dollars a pound …”
    “How heavy is it?”
    “Just a hair over thirty pounds. I'd guess it's worth a little over two million dollars. Of course, there will be taxes and all. Still, you should be comfortable.”
    “Two million dollars… comfortable. You call that comfortable?”
    He nodded. “Like Frank said, you saved the universe. It's the least I can do. Now hit F1WS or we'll be here all day.”
    “Will I see you again?”
    A long pause. “I don't think so. But there's a slight chance. I've started to work on extrapolating time predictions, moving the mass ahead of the moment.”
    “Seeing into the future? But they said it couldn't be done because it hasn't happened yet.”
    “And it can't. Yet. But we can see down a road before we walk down it, can't we? And I was looking down your time road recently. You have a very interesting life ahead of you, from what I can see.”
    “If you can see what's coming I have a question.”
    “No. Not yet, maybe not ever. Now hit the keys and go get Frank. You have a lot to do.”
    And Dorso hit the keys. He rode the flash of light and was back under his porch and then out walking to get Frank, who was about to have a very good day, before he realized that he still didn't have an answer to the one question that was really bothering him.
    Would Karen Bemis go out with him again?

About the Author
    Gary Paulsen is the distinguished author of many critically acclaimed books for young people, including three Newbery Honor books:
The Winter Room, Hatchet
and
Dogsong.
His novel
The Haymeadow
received the Western Writers of America Golden Spur Award. Among his Random House books are
Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day; The Quilt
(a companion to
Alida's Song
and
The Cookcamp); The Glass Café; How Angel Peterson Got His Name; Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats; Guts: The True Stories Behind
Hatchet
and the Brian Books; The Beet Fields; Soldier's Heart; Brians Winter, Brians Return
and
Brian's Hunt
(companions to
Hatchet); Father Water, Mother Woods;
and five books about Francis Tucket's adventures in the Old West. Gary Paulsen has also published fiction and nonfiction for adults, as well as picture books illustrated by his wife, the painter Ruth Wright Paulsen. Their most recent book is
Canoe Days.
The Paulsens live in New Mexico and on the Pacific Ocean.

Published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children's Books
a division of Random House, Inc., New York
    Copyright © 2005 by Gary Paulsen
    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
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