Clues
Dan and Brad shared the opinion of the other Cubs that their “fun” times
were nearly at an end at the Castle.
Parting company with the other boys, they discussed the matter as they
walked toward their homes.
“I’ll bet a cent Mr. Kain won’t allow us to go poking around in the
woods,” Brad remarked. “I especially wanted to see if we could find any
clues as to how the fire started.”
“Why don’t we go out there now by ourselves?”
“I’d like to,” Brad replied. “I sure would. But it wouldn’t be cricket.
Mr. Kain takes it for granted we’ll only go there when he’s around to
watch-dog us.”
“I guess you’re right,” Dan admitted ruefully. “What we could do though,
is to get there early on Saturday. If we’re lucky, we might get an hour’s
jump on Mr. Kain.”
During the next few days, the Cubs made what arrangements they could for
costumes. The mothers of the two Dens came through splendidly, fashioning
garments of whatever materials they had on hand.
On the whole, the Cubs felt that the play would not be quite the flop
they had feared. Nevertheless, resentment flared again when Ross
displayed the elegant costume he had purchased at a theatrical supply
store.
Among some of the boys it was whispered that Ross still expected to be
awarded the star role in the play.
And though Dan and Brad tried to quiet such rumblings, the Cubs continued
to hint that he might have had something to do with starting the
disastrous fire.
“If Ross is innocent, the Cubs are doing him a terrible injustice,” Brad
said to his friend early Saturday. The two boys had walked to the Castle
grounds, and by intention were there ahead of the Pack.
“I wish we could find how the fire really started,” Dan replied soberly.
“So much time has elapsed now, all clues probably have been destroyed.”
“We may find some more of those arrows, Dan. They may or may not have
significance.”
The two boys were hopeful of coming upon evidence to indicate that the
fire had been of accidental nature or had been started by the mysterious
“ghost” of the Castle.
Their task proved most discouraging. As they wandered through the
blackened, charred area, they found not a single clue. They did observe
that the damage to shrubs and trees had been relatively slight.
“It looks to me as if Ross told the truth about cleaning up the brush,”
Brad declared, pausing beside a large pile of charred sticks and debris.
“See! He must have gathered it all here in this one place.”
“And maybe touched a match to it.”
“Ross wouldn’t be that stupid. He knows better than to start a fire in a
wooded area. Anyway, you can see the fire didn’t start in this pile of
brush. It spread from some distance back.”
Dan agreed with his friend’s observation. Both could see where the fire
had followed a line of least resistance along a winding road.
“Say, I wonder where that road leads?” Dan speculated. “I never noticed
it here before.”
Curious to learn whether or not it joined the main road, they followed it
for a short distance.
Before the boys had gone far, they discovered that it twisted in among
the trees, leading behind the Castle. From there it swung to the right,
presently coming out within view of the adjoining estate. By this time
the Cubs had learned that the property was owned by a Colonel
Brekenridge.
“No sense going any farther,” Brad said, halting. “For all we know, we
may be trespassing on Brekenridge land. If the Colonel’s gardener should
spot us, he’d make trouble.”
“The road hasn’t been used much of late,” Dan said, noting that it was
clogged with grass.
Pausing in the clearing, the boys gazed toward the pillared Brekenridge
home. No one was to be seen either in the yard or on the veranda.
After a casual inspection, the pair started back the way they had come.
They had covered about two-thirds of the distance to the Castle, when Dan
abruptly halted to study a charred irregular area at the side of the
road.
“Say, it looks as if someone had a camp fire here!” he exclaimed.
“Recently too, because rains haven’t disturbed any of the ashes.”
Brad turned to gaze at the area his companion indicated.
Immediately he noticed a snake-like black tail of burned ground leading
toward another charred area.
“Dan, this must be where the fire started!” he cried.
“The wind was blowing toward the Castle all right.”
“It’s clear as day,” Brad declared, walking over to the dead ashes of the
bonfire. “Someone built this, and didn’t put it out entirely. Then the
person went off.”
“And it slowly spread,” Dan agreed. “First in this narrow tail, and then
after it struck that section of dry leaves and grass it spread out
rapidly through the woods.”
The boys carefully examined the dead embers. Beside them was a blackened
tin can which had been used for cooking purposes. Dan also picked up a
half-burned stick with the remains of a roasted weiner still attached.
“This fire must have been started by a boy,” he said slowly. “Or possibly
by a tramp. Brad, do you suppose it could have been Ross?”
“He wouldn’t build a fire as carelessly as this,” the Den Chief pointed
out. “He’s had Cub training in how to lay his sticks. No, I’m more than
ever convinced, Dan, that the fire wasn’t his fault.”
Decidedly relieved to think that they had found evidence which tended to
exonerate Ross, the two Cubs traced the start of the fire. Plainly they
could see where it had leaped over a narrow ditch and then moved in
several directions.
“If Ross didn’t start the fire, who did?” Dan speculated as the boys
started down the road again. “Our mysterious Ghost of the Castle?”
“Could be. I’d like to catch that guy who keeps horning into our
pictures. Maybe we will too!”
“Any ideas?” Dan asked.
Before Brad could reply, both boys were startled to hear a babble of
voices ahead on the trail.
“Sounds like a delegation,” Brad murmured. “I wonder if the Cubs have
arrived for rehearsals.”
Rounding a bend of the road, the two boys caught a glimpse of four Den 2
boys who had gathered in a huddle.
Their backs were to Dan and Brad. So earnestly were they talking, that
they failed to observe the approach of the two Cubs.
“Mr. Hatfield can’t and won’t do anything,” Dan and Brad heard Red say
distinctly. “We all know Ross is guilty. So it’s up to us to see that
he’s punished.”
“Sure, and let’s think up a good one,” proposed Chips. “We’ve got to
teach that little guy a lesson he won’t forget!”