Dan Carter And The Haunted Castle Part 15

Some of the Cubs were for combing the entire wooded section. However, Mr.

Hatfield, who had followed the boys, advised against such action.

"The person easily could elude us, for apparently he knows the trails well," he declared. "Furthermore, we have work to do. Now that Dan definitely has been chosen as Robin Hood, we must begin to whip our play into shape."

"How about the other roles?" asked Midge. "Who is to be the Sheriff of Nottingham?"

"We've decided to give that role to Ross."

"I knew it!" Ross muttered. "Why can't I be Allan-a-Dale?"

"We're not ready for the scenes in which that character appears," the Cub leader explained patiently. "You'll make a fine sheriff. Besides, Mr.

Holloway tells me we'll be able to refilm the banquet scene with no change except the addition of costumes."

"Oh, fine!" Ross grumbled.

Returning to the clearing, all the Cubs worked hard for the next hour and a half. As the archery contest had been the main attraction, many of the parents began to drift away.

By mid-afternoon, only the Cubs and a few of their fathers remained. The boys were reacting a scene which had given them trouble, when Red called attention to a car that had driven into the grounds from the main road.

"Why, that looks like Mr. Kain," Dan remarked. "I guess he drove out to see what we're doing here."

"He probably wants to make certain we aren't doing any damage," added Red.

Mr. Kain alighted from his car and sauntered over to the group. After speaking to several of the boys, he asked for Mr. Hatfield.

"He went off somewhere for a minute," Brad replied. "Anything we can do?"

"Well, I merely drove out to see that everything was under control here,"

the bank employee answered. "I see you've cleared away this area in front of the castle very efficiently."

"Yes, sir," agreed Brad, pleased by the praise. "A Cub always keeps a promise."

"I'll look around a bit. Don't mind me, boys. Go on with whatever you were doing."

Mr. Kain wandered off in the general direction of the castle and vanished from view. Belatedly, it occurred to Brad that he had neglected to tell the bank man about the broken window.

"I'll do it before he leaves," he thought.

The scene upon which the Cubs were working finally was finished.

Satisfied with the filming, Mr. Holloway told the boys to s.n.a.t.c.h a brief rest.

Brad took advantage of this period to go in search of Mr. Kain. The man had been gone so long that the boy wondered what had detained him.

As he rounded a corner of the vine-covered castle, he came upon the bank employee. Mr. Kain was gazing at the broken window.

"Well!" he remarked, seeing Brad. "When we gave the Cub Scouts permission to use this property, we a.s.sumed they would exercise care."

"We did, too," replied Brad, ready to defend the organization. "If you're referring to that broken window, we didn't smash it."

"No? I don't recall seeing that it was broken when I inspected the premises a few days ago."

"It was though," Brad a.s.sured him. "I meant to tell you about it, but forgot."

"Indeed?" Mr. Kain spoke coldly. "It seems the Cubs forget quite a few things."

"I don't know what you mean," Brad said. "It's the truth, we didn't smash the window. When we first came here, we found it broken. Vines covered the panes, so it wasn't noticed."

"Since then, the Cubs have been going in and out whenever they felt like it."

"I guess we did roam around a bit inside," Brad admitted. "But no harm was done. I'm sure of that."

"I'll see that the window is repaired. However, there are other matters that concern me. Your failure to keep a promise, for instance."

Brad was dumbfounded. "My promise?" he echoed. "Why, I don't know what you mean, Mr. Kain."

"A promise was given me that if I allowed the Cub Scouts to use this property, all the dead brush would be cleared away."

"We did the job too," Brad said indignantly. "You said yourself we worked very efficiently."

"You did as far as clearing s.p.a.ce for an archery range. I'll admit that the grounds look very well out front where they show. But the area behind the castle hasn't been touched. And the fire hazard is greater there than elsewhere."

"Why, I thought all the work had been done," Brad said in dismay. "Show me the place you mean."

"Gladly."

Mr. Kain led the Den Chief to the section of the estate which had been a.s.signed to Ross to clear.

"I don't wonder you're annoyed, Mr. Kain," Brad said as he viewed the untouched acc.u.mulation of brush. "This area was a.s.signed to one of the boys from Den 1. I thought the work had been done."

"Unless the Cubs keep their promises, I can't allow them to continue to use the grounds."

"The work will be done no later than tomorrow," Brad promised grimly.

"I'll give you my word."

The Den Chief's straightforward manner impressed the bank employee.

"Very well," he said, satisfied by the promise. "The Cubs may continue to use the grounds here, provided the work is done by tomorrow night. If not, I'm afraid I'll have to put my foot down. The truth is, some of the bank officials aren't much in favor of the Cubs roaming around here. If any damage should be done, we'll have to ask you to leave."

"We'll take precautions," Brad promised again.

Mr. Kain did not wait to see Mr. Hatfield, but went directly to his car.

As he bade Brad good-bye, however, he warned once more that he would be back within a day or two to make another inspection.

Scarcely had the car driven away than Dan sought his friend to learn what was wrong.

"Plenty!" Brad snapped. "That lazy Ross Langdon really has fouled us up this time! We're apt to get bounced from here, and all because he didn't attend to the work a.s.signed him."

"Golly, if we had to leave here with only part of our play filmed, we'd be sunk," Dan murmured. "Let's put the bee on Ross right now."