Dan Carter and the Cub Honor Part 9

"I know of only one person with the initials 'P. O.'," Brad said significantly. "Can't you guess?"

"Not Pat Oswald?"

"Who else? Of course we have no proof."

"Pat and his gang might have been here after the Cubs left last Sat.u.r.day!

Say, that could have been what happened! They wrecked the place and we get blamed."

"That's the way I figure it," Brad nodded. "But as I said, we have no proof."

"Let's tell the trustees."

"That's for Mr. Hatfield to decide, Dan. This accusation against the Cubs is dead-serious business and we can't make any false moves. If we'd charge Pat with this, we might be called on to prove our claims. Could we do that?"

"Not yet, I guess."

"That's why we must keep a tight lip and see what we can learn."

Dan knew that Brad's reasoning was sound. Though they suspected Pat and the group of boys he ran with, they certainly could not prove it. Inquiry in the neighborhood, however, might bring to light additional clues.

Mr. Hatfield, unaware of Brad's discovery, was still talking to Old Terry and the trustees. His efforts to convince them of the Cubs' innocence was unavailing. The only concession that the church officials made was to agree that the Cubmaster might appear before the entire church board the following Wednesday.

Breaking off the conversation, the trustees drove away.

Old Terry, left behind, began to a.s.sert his authority.

"Now you boys get off this property!" he directed. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?"

"It's unfair to accuse us!" Chips said furiously. "We didn't do the damage, and you should know it! Cubs aren't hoodlums."

"You wanted that freezer, and you didn't care how many windows you smashed to get in!"

"That just isn't so," Dan declared. "We never did get the freezers. Like enough they're still in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Have you looked?"

"No, I haven't."

"Why don't you?" Chips demanded. "I guess that would prove-"

"It wouldn't prove anything," the caretaker retorted, locking the church door. "Now begone, will you?"

"Come along, boys," Mr. Hatfield said quietly. "No use arguing about this affair. Everything will be taken up at the meeting Wednesday."

Decidedly downcast, the Cubs followed their leader to the car. During the ride into Webster City, they a.s.sured him repeatedly that they were innocent of the charges against them.

"I believe you," Mr. Hatfield said. "Don't worry too much about it. I think-I hope at any rate-that everything can be explained and adjusted.

Unfortunately, Elwin Maxwell is a very stubborn man."

"He's chairman of the board too, isn't he?" Brad recalled.

"Yes, I gather he is the one who is pressing the suit."

Even the thought of a twenty thousand dollar claim filed against the Scout organization dismayed the Cubs. If such action were taken, there would be unpleasant newspaper publicity and court sessions. The Cubs would be given a black-eye in the community. Even if they later were cleared, they might never completely live it down.

"How about the party for our folks Friday?" Dan presently asked. "Now that we're in this mess, shall we drop our plans?"

"Absolutely not, Dan."

"So far we haven't any ice cream freezers."

"We'll get them somewhere. If necessary, we'll buy ice cream at the drugstore. The party goes on exactly as planned."

The Cubs brightened at this decision and began to discuss ways and means of clearing themselves of the outrageous charge against them. Brad told of the discovery he had made inside the church.

"Pat Oswald," Mr. Hatfield mulled over the name. "I hadn't thought of him. Brad, you may have hit upon something!"

"Do you think it will clear the Cubs?"

"I'm afraid not, Brad. But at least it gives us a starting point for our own investigation." Mr. Hatfield stopped the car for a traffic light.

s.h.i.+fting gears to go on, he added: "Now, we must say nothing about finding the carved initials, boys. But see what information you can pick up about Pat and his gang."

"Pat is known as a troublemaker," Chips declared.

"We'll need facts, not hearsay," Mr. Hatfield reminded the boys. "By the way, when you fellows were out at the church Sat.u.r.day, you didn't notice anyone loitering around?"

"Not actually," Dan said. "Chub thought he saw a ghost though. We rather made fun of him."

"Maybe what he saw was someone hiding in the bushes," Brad pointed out.

"That's so," Dan agreed. He hadn't intended to mention his own experience, but now decided to tell about seeing the shadowy figure slithering toward the graveyard.

He related the incident hesitantly, half expecting the Cubs to tease him.

No one did.

"Obviously, you didn't see a ghost," Mr. Hatfield commented. "You probably caught a glimpse of one of those hoodlums, Dan."

"Funny thing though," Dan replied meditatively. "The shadow I saw didn't look like a boy ghost. The figure was rather tall and thin. I had the queerest feeling at the time, almost the same as I did today-"

"What do you mean, 'as you did today?'" Brad alertly tripped him up.

The remark had slipped from Dan unintentionally. He certainly didn't want the Cubs to think that he was jittery. Or that he was imagining things.

He remained silent.

"Come on, give!" Brad commanded.

"It was nothing really."

"You did see someone again today at the church?"

"No," Dan answered. "It was just a feeling I had while we were in the church. You'll laugh I know, but I had the strangest feeling that we were being watched."