Dan Carter And The Haunted Castle Part 24

"If Ross is innocent, the Cubs are doing him a terrible injustice," Brad said to his friend early Sat.u.r.day. 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 trespa.s.sing 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 gra.s.s.

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 gra.s.s 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!"

CHAPTER 15 A Message

As Dan and Brad walked up, the Cubs broke up their circle.

"Having a little conference?" the Den Chief inquired pointedly.

"Oh, just talking," Midge Holloway replied uneasily.

The group was comprised of Red, Chips, Midge and Fred.

Brad fixed his gaze disapprovingly upon the four conspirators.

"I'm ashamed of you," he said. "Plotting behind Mr. Hatfield's back. You didn't figure on letting Dan or me know what you were doing either!"

"We haven't done anything yet," Midge defended the group. "Furthermore, we haven't had a chance to talk over this matter with anyone. My Dad brought us out here only ten minutes ago."

"It seems you had to come back into the woods for your high-powered conference," Brad said sternly. "I guess you didn't want Mr. Holloway to hear you."