Alex Bishop And The Hidden Treasure

                                                                                        Chapter 4

                                                                            Rules and Regulations

      As Alex and the others walked back to where they left their bags, Charlie came running out of his trailer.  He stopped a few feet in front of Alex and said with an embarrassed look on his face, "I have to give you your keys to your trailers," he said, holding up a chain with dozens of keys clinging to it.

     Everyone laughed as he led them up to the line of trailers.  Haley, Amanda and Annie had decided they would room together, and they took trailer number 1.  Grace and Kelleigh chose the second trailer.  Alex and Christian took trailer number 3.  Justin and Anthony brought their luggage into number 4, and Josh and John moved their things into number 5.

     One of the group of friends could have taken trailer number six, but all of them wanted a roommate.  Amanda, who was staying with Annie and Haley, told Charlie she had no problem sleeping on the sofa bed.   When everyone had put their things inside the trailers, Charlie called them to come to the first trailer so he could give them some information.

     So, everybody but Annie, Amanda and Haley, who were already there, sitting on their floor, came walking in.  The others took seats at the breakfast bar, and the long sofa.  Charlie leaned against the bar and said, "Let me tell you all what you've gotten yourselves into."  "Before you get started," Alex said, "Can I ask you a question?"

     "Sure Alex.  What is it?"  When do the other diggers arrive?"  I know you said something about that.  But I evidently wasn't paying attention, or else I forgot."  Everyone laughed including Charlie.  "The other diggers are arriving starting tomorrow and through Monday noon .  Hopefully we will began digging some time Tuesday morning."

     "Your normally days of digging will be Monday through Friday from Eight in the morning to Eight in the evening.  You will have a fifteen minute break in the morning and another in the afternoon.  And a forty five minute lunch break at noon everyday.  We also stop digging  when it starts raining, or don't start if the rain begins before we begin."

     "Any questions so far?"  Charley asked.  No one raised their hand or said anything, so Charlie said, "No?  Okay let's go on.  You will get a ten percent finder's fee for any artifact that is sold to a museum or collector.  If a museum buys your find, your name will be on a sign below the article."  Alex and the others gave each other awed looks.  Charlie chuckled.

     "Now.  We are in Germany as you all know and Beer is very plentiful."  Everyone laughed. "I have no problem with some one having a drink; not on the job of course.  But I do have a problem with someone being drunk."  Before Charlie could get another word out, Christian said, "Uh, you don't have to worry about that with us.  We don't drink."  Charlie looked stunned.

     "But just said, "Glad to hear that.  Again, any questions?" Some in his audience grinned or shook their heads, but no one had anything to say.  "Wow! I must be really great at explaining things." Charlie said sarcastically.  His audience chuckled.  "Ok," Charlie started again, "The average summer temp here is around seventy two degrees which is rather pleasant."

     "But working under the sun a good share of the day gets very uncomfortable.  So make sure you all wear the safari hats that you brought with you.  Also the other head diggers and myself furnish all the bottled water you will need each day to hydrate.  I always want to see a water bottle near you when you're digging."

     'You should have at least four water bottles with you when you start digging each day.  So you don't have to interrupt your digging every five minutes.  Dehydration is the number 1 danger a digger faces here."  Everyone looked over at their friend Alex and some laughed.  "What?" Alex said looking around at them all.