Dan Carter and the Cub Honor Part 16

"Who would do such a mean thing?" Red demanded. "Our party is ruined!"

Word spread like wildfire that the ice cream had been stolen. The other Cubs and some of the parents came out of the church to see for themselves.

"Say, I bet I know who took those freezers!" Chips cried.

"Who?" the others demanded.

"Pat Oswald and his gang."

"It's hardly fair to accuse them just because they used the gymnasium today," Mr. Hatfield said rather mildly.

"Pat knew about the freezers," Chips insisted. "He saw them here on the steps, and he asked about the party."

Brad, with a pocket flashlight, had been examining the soft earth near the church steps.

"I've found a lot of shoe marks," he called the attention of the Cubs to them. "Boys tracks, I'd judge by their size. Have you fellows been tramping around here today?"

"Haven't been off the walk or the porch," Dan said, and most of the Cubs gave a similar reply.

"Well, a gang of kids must have been here then," Brad declared. "See the tracks lead toward the hedge. Here, you can tell that something heavy was dragged over the ground."

"Maybe it was Pat and his gang!" Fred exclaimed. "Of all the mean ingrat.i.tude! We let 'em use our gym and equipment, and they repay us by stealing our ice cream!"

"We worked so hard to make it too!" Red added.

"We ought to call off our basketball games with 'em-that's what," Midge said indignantly.

Mr. Hatfield reminded the Cubs that they had no proof that the ice cream actually had been taken by Pat and his cronies.

"It looks highly suspicious," he admitted, "but I'm in favor of giving the other fellow the benefit of the doubt."

Several of the Den Dads toured the church yard, in search of the culprits. They returned to report no sign of the freezers, or the persons who had taken them. Evidently the theft had been accomplished nearly a half hour earlier, or at least long before the discovery of the loss.

"No chance of catching anyone now," Mr. Hatfield said regretfully. "We may as well forget about it."

"Forget it?" Midge wailed. "After all the work we did?"

"And you never tasted such wonderful ice cream," Chips went on. "We only had tiny samples this afternoon. We were looking forward to big dishes tonight!"

"We'll make ice cream another time," Mr. Hatfield promised the Cubs.

"How can we, without freezers?" Dan asked. "The only ones we know about are at the old Christian Church. No chance of getting those."

"And what about the ones that were stolen?" Brad asked, rather worried.

"We don't even know to whom they belong."

The Cubs had inquired among the parents, but no one had admitted providing the two freezers. Even Mr. Hatfield was somewhat uneasy to think that later on, the unknown giver might call at the church to ask the return of his or her property.

"It's very strange about those freezers-" he mused. "Very strange."

Disconsolately, the Cubs trooped back into the church. They were resigned to a party without ice cream.

However, Midge's father had slipped away to the drugstore without consulting anyone. Even before all the cake had been served, he was back with several large packages of ice cream. He also had bought some excellent strawberry topping.

"Now this isn't as good as homemade ice cream," he apologized. "On short notice though, it was the best subst.i.tute I could find."

The Cubs ate their share of the ice cream and after a while tended to forget the injustice that had been done them. It relieved their minds to see that the parents didn't seem to mind not having homemade ice cream.

Despite the theft of the freezers, the party had been a great success.

"Now before we break up for the evening, I suggest we give the Cubs a big vote of thanks," proposed Mr. Holloway. "All in favor-"

No one ever had an opportunity to join in the vote of appreciation. For at that moment there came a rap on the clubroom door.

Before anyone could open it, Terry Treuhaft stepped into the room. The old caretaker's unexpected arrival startled everyone. No one could imagine what had brought him to the church uninvited.

Terry did not long leave the matter in doubt.

"I've come for my freezers," he said and his voice fairly dripped icicles.

"YOUR freezers?" Red echoed. "Oh m'gos.h.!.+"

"I think you must be mistaken about us having your freezers," Mr.

Hatfield said politely.

"We haven't any freezers at all," declared Chips, rather enjoying the joke.

"I understand you do have the ones that were at the church," the old caretaker said stiffly. "I was tipped that I'd find them here. Where are they?"

"Look around if you like," Brad invited. "If you can find them, you're better at hunting than we are."

"None of your sa.s.s, young man or I'll have the law on you," Old Terry retorted. He felt ill at ease with so many parents gazing steadily at him.

"I'm sorry," Brad apologized. "I did not intend to be impolite. I merely meant to emphasize that we do not have your freezers."

"You did have them then."

"That might be," Mr. Hatfield admitted. "We did have a couple of ice cream freezers which were stolen earlier tonight. However, I certainly had no suspicion that they belonged to the Christian Church."

"Well, you know now," Old Terry retorted. "These Cubs, were after those freezers from the first, and that was what caused 'em to break in-"

"Just a minute," interposed Mr. Hatfield. "The Cubs did not break into the Church. Of that I'm satisfied."

"You may be satisfied, but the trustees aren't! The Cubs will have to pay for the damage they did. Besides, I want those two freezers."

"We haven't a freezer on the premises," Mr. Hatfield said again.

Wearily, he told the caretaker what had happened.

"You're handing me a line about not knowing where those freezers came from," Old Terry growled. "For that matter, how do I know they aren't here somewhere?"