Dan Carter and the Cub Honor Part 5

"Brave too," added Red significantly as he moved toward the bushes to retrieve the lost basketball.

Chub flushed, knowing full well that reference was being made to the jittery way he had talked about ghosts.

"I've got a lot to learn," he said soberly. "I want to be a Cub the worst way. I'll try awfully hard."

"Sure you will," Dan declared with a friendly grin. "You'll make it too.

At first it seems as if there's a lot to learn. Know the Law of the Pack yet?"

"I think so. But what is the Pack?"

"Gee whiskers! You are dumb!" Red snorted, coming back with the basketball tucked under his arm.

"You're violating one of the Cub rules right now," Dan informed Red. "A Cub is supposed to be courteous."

"Aw, I didn't mean anything! I'm sorry, Chub."

"I don't mind being called dumb, because I am. But I'm catching on a little."

The Cubs warmed to the boy, liking the way he admitted his shortcomings.

He might be young, but he was eager and willing, and that was what counted.

"You asked about the Pack," Dan said, taking up Chub's question. "It's an a.s.sociation of Dens. Every month all the Den members have a big gathering of the citywide Pack. Believe me, those are some pow-wows!"

"Say, don't you wish the Pack would pull off a basketball tournament,"

remarked Red. "Wonder if Den 1 has a team?"

"We couldn't get 'em interested," Dan regretfully reported. "They're going out for swimming this fall."

"What's the use having a Cub team unless we can round up compet.i.tion?"

"We'll find some," Dan promised. "First, though, we ought to get our own team better organized. We can stand a lot of practice."

"You can say that again," Chips agreed, gazing at the jagged hole in the window.

The unfortunate accident had somewhat dampened the high spirits of the Cubs. Abruptly, Red announced that it was time for him to go home. His departure also was a signal for the others to leave.

Dan walked with Chub, telling him again not to worry about the smashed gla.s.s.

"It shouldn't cost much to repair the damage," he declared. "I'll see Old Terry about it right away. No use waiting."

"I'll go with you," Chub offered. "I can't let you take all the blame."

The Treuhaft cottage had a deserted appearance as the boys approached.

Old Terry had abandoned his fence building and all his tools had been put away. Though Dan pounded repeatedly on the door, there was no answer.

"He's off somewhere," Dan commented. "Oh, well, no use waiting. I'll come back here tomorrow after church."

The boys parted, Chub returning to the widow's home at the outskirts of Webster City.

Dan sauntered on alone, enjoying the nice air and thinking about the events of the day. He liked Chub and intended to look out for him. All the same, it struck him as odd that the boy never revealed anything about himself. Why had Mr. Hatfield requested that no questions be asked? Did he have special information about Chub that he was keeping to himself?

"I'm getting as curious as an old tabby cat," Dan chided himself. "Guess I'll have all I can do to look after my own affairs."

His way took him past the old church. Dan had no intention of stopping.

Nevertheless, he did glance toward the belfry, visible through the half-naked trees.

"Queer about that tapping bell," he mused. "I know I heard it. Since it couldn't have been the wind, a bird must have flown against the clapper."

The explanation satisfied Dan for the moment, and he smiled in relief.

How naive Chub had been to suggest a ghost! Not that the old decaying church didn't have an eerie appearance with its dead vines and look of utter desolation.

Bushes had overgrown nearly all of the church walls. The ma.s.s of crimson and yellow leaves against stone and brick made a pretty splash of color, Dan thought. But Old Terry really should whack down the brush a bit, even with winter coming on.

Dan's thoughts were roving, when suddenly his attention focused upon a tall, mis-shapen evergreen at the west side of the old building. He halted to stare.

The little tree was moving jerkily, as if alive.

"What the d.i.c.kens?" Dan muttered.

As he watched, a shadowy figure slithered from behind the foliage and vanished toward the graveyard.

CHAPTER 4 PAYMENT REFUSED

Dan stood very still for a moment, staring fixedly at the place where the shadowy figure had disappeared. He wasn't sure what he had seen, or for that matter whether he had observed anything.

Had his approach frightened away someone who had been loitering at the rear windows of the old church? So far as he could see from the road, no one now was lurking in the cemetery. However, the tilted tombstones offered many hiding places.

Dan briefly considered ambling over to study the layout but decided against it. The hour was late and he was due home. Besides the old church stood in an isolated area, easily accessible to tramps who might come up the slope from the river area.

"No use asking for trouble," he thought. "Whoever was prowling around, probably wasn't doing any harm."

Dan waited a few minutes longer, thinking he might again glimpse the elusive figure. Seeing no one, he trudged on home.

Sunday was a pleasant, quiet day in the Carter household. Dan attended church school in the morning as was his usual custom.

After that came a big dinner, and then a half hour spent with the funnies. Suddenly he dropped the newspaper as if its pages were charged with electricity.

"Wow!"

"What's wrong, Dan?" his Mother inquired from across the room.

"I forgot something important. I've got to rush out to Terry Treuhaft's place right away!"

"Can't it wait?"