Dan Carter And The Haunted Castle Part 35

The arrow had flown straight and true, lodging inside of the other two, and clipping a bit of feather from the one Midge had shot.

"Bravo!" shouted Midge. "A beautiful shot!"

The play moved on swiftly now to the epilogue.

In this final scene only Billy Brekenridge and Brad appeared, the latter acting his role of Little John.

Billy had been made up to look very old. Propped on pillows, he reclined just inside the Castle, but visible to the audience.

As the camera began to grind, Brad as Little John opened wide the windows.

An amplifier carried Robin Hood's final words to the audience. Speaking with a great deal of feeling, Billy instructed Little John to make his last resting place the spot where his arrow fell.

Then, raising himself upright, he drew the bowstring. Out through the open window sped the arrow. A perfect shot, it fell in a green bower directly in view of the judges.

A blast from the trumpets signalled the end of the performance.

"That was swell, Billy!" Brad cried, grasping his hand. "Your shot couldn't have been better!"

"Where that arrow fell we'll place our target for the archery range,"

Billy said dreamily. "I've got it all planned."

Brad was too excited at the moment by the success of the play to wonder what the boy meant.

Parents poured around the Cubs, congratulating them upon their fine acting.

Though pleased that it was over, the Cubs were none too confident of victory. The judges, they noticed, had gone into a huddle. Apparently, they were in disagreement, for they seemed to be arguing rather heatedly.

"No soap," Chips muttered hopelessly. "I stumbled over my lines in one place. I'm sure that prejudiced one judge. I saw him looking hard at me."

Ten minutes elapsed. Then word came that the judges were ready to announce their decision. George Hutton, as spokesman for the group, stepped out in front of the expectant audience.

"The task of choosing the best play from among ten entries has been most difficult," he began. "All have had exceeding merit. In the unanimous opinion of the judges, however, one presentation has been outstanding in every respect."

"_Which_ one?" whispered Midge impatiently. "Can't he ever get to the point?"

"First prize is awarded to the Cub Scouts for their play 'Robin Hood,'"

Mr. Hutton announced. "From start to finish, the presentation was a _finished_ production."

After that, there was no containing the pride of the Cubs. As they talked gleefully of their success, however, they gave full credit to Mr.

Hatfield, Midge's father, and to Brad and Dan who had contributed so heavily of their time.

Now that the winner had been announced, the crowd began to leave. Mr.

Holloway called the boys together to thank them for their splendid effort and to tell them that already he had received many requests to show the Robin Hood film.

"Just think!" Fred said jubilantly. "Now that we've won the prize, we'll have a complete archery set! Bows and arrows for everyone and targets!

We'll have a chance to really become experts."

"We'll need an archery range though," Red pointed out. "Now that our play is finished, we can't expect the bank to allow us to keep on using these grounds."

"That's so," Fred admitted, a trifle crestfallen. "Well, at any rate, we'll have Billy here to teach us how to shoot."

"Speaking of Billy reminds me of an important matter," remarked Mr.

Hatfield, who had overheard the conversation. "Officially, he isn't a Cub yet."

"Why don't we initiate him?" demanded Chips.

"Soon, too," chimed in Dan. "We need Billy."

"I was thinking the same thing," agreed the Cub leader. "Colonel Brekenridge is here now with his nurse. He may never be able to come to one of our meetings-"

"He'd like to see Billy taken into the organization!" Brad exclaimed.

"Why not induct him right now?"

All the other Cubs favored the plan. Gathering the boys in a circle, Mr.

Hatfield briefly explained the ideals and goals of the organization.

"A real Cub is square," he told Billy. "Also he is reliable and loyal. He sticks by his friends. A Cub prides himself upon being fair to others.

Last but far from least, he always tries to be cheerful."

The Cub leader then explained further that the five ideals, SQUARE, LOYAL, FAIR, HAPPY and GAME, were represented by the five fingers of the Cub's left hand.

Billy then was asked to repeat the Cub Promise:

"I, Billy Brekenridge, promise to do my best, to be square and to obey the law of the Cub Pack."

All of the Cubs of Dens 1 and 2 repeated the Law of the Pack:

The Cub Follows Akela.

The Cub Helps the Pack Go.

The Pack Helps the Cub Grow.

The Cub Gives Good Will.

The boys showed Billy the official handclasp and how to make the Cub sign with the two first fingers of the right hand.

"You're a full fledged Bobcat now!" Brad told him when the ceremony had been completed. "Work hard and you'll soon be a Wolf."

"And after that a Bear and a Lion!" laughed Ross Langdon. "It's hard going though."

Colonel Brekenridge, who had witnessed the ceremony, asked his nurse to wheel him to the group.

Congratulating his grandson upon his entry into the Cub organization, he then cordially invited the boys to come to his estate whenever they felt the urge.

"I don't expect to be living there long though," he added. "The place has been none too satisfactory."

This information rather dashed the expectation of the Cubs.

"You're not moving away from Webster City, Colonel Brekenridge?" Dan questioned. "We'd hate to lose Billy right after taking him into the Den."