CHAPTER 9 A Neglected Duty

Surrounding the area from which the arrows had been shot, the Cubs closed in.

But, after whipping through the bushes, they were unable to find the mysterious archer.

“The fellow knew we would be after him,” Brad remarked, carefully looking about on the ground for telltale clues. “He must have run off the moment he shot the arrows.”

“He’s good too,” spoke up Ross. “Better than our champion, Dan Carter.”

From the Den 1 boy’s tone, it was evident that he still smarted under loss of the star role in the play. Dan, however, refused to be annoyed.

“He’s a lot better shot than I am,” he agreed.

“We ought to find him and let him take the part,” Ross went on, determined to make the Den 2 boy feel uncomfortable. “He’d show us some real shooting.”

“I wish we could trail him,” Dan replied. “He’d be an asset to our play.”

“He must be a youngster too,” added Brad, pointing to several footprints he had found beside a bush. “See, his shoe is shorter than mine.”

The cluster of footprints appeared in a tiny clearing which gave an unobstructed view of the target.

“He must have stood here when he shot those three arrows,” Brad said. “The question is, which way did he go?”

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 snatch 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 assumed 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 assured 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 space 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 assigned to Ross to clear.

“I don’t wonder you’re annoyed, Mr. Kain,” Brad said as he viewed the untouched accumulation of brush. “This area was assigned 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 assigned 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.”

The two boys sought the Den 1 Cub, who at the moment was being measured for his sheriff’s costume. His paper route had provided a substantial sum for the purchase of materials which Mrs. Holloway had offered to sew.

Ross, however, could not make up his mind whether he wanted a home-made costume or one he might purchase.

“I think I could make you a very nice outfit,” Mrs. Holloway told the boy.

“I want a jerkin and seagreen hose,” Ross declared. “Also a cap with a feather.”

“Don’t you think we should omit the feather?” Mrs. Holloway suggested. “After all, it won’t do for you to look too much like Robin Hood.”

“Yes, but I want a feather,” Ross argued. “Can’t I have it?”

Before Mrs. Holloway could answer, Brad and Dan came up.

“If the fitting is over, we want to see you a minute,” Brad said to the boy.

“What for?” he demanded suspiciously.

“Oh, you’ll find out,” Brad said.

Mrs. Holloway, whose patience had been worn by Ross’ insistent demands, declared that she had finished taking measurements. Rather reluctantly, the Den 1 boy followed Brad and Dan across the clearing.

“Where you taking me?” he asked.

“Just come along,” Brad returned shortly.

As the boys rounded the castle, Ross began to catch on to what was in store.

“Oh, you’re going to rag me about not getting the brush cleaned up,” he guessed. “Well, I’ve been too busy with my paper route. Three customers kicked yesterday because their papers were delivered late. I’ve no time to be doing grubby work out here.”

“The rest of us have work too,” Brad retorted. “By not doing what you were supposed to, you got us in bad with Mr. Kain.”

“Unless the brush is cleared away by tomorrow night, the Cubs stand to lose the use of this property,” Dan added severely.

“Wouldn’t that be too bad?” Ross drawled. “Then you wouldn’t get the role of Robin Hood!”

Brad whirled around to glare at the Den 1 boy.

“You’re acting like a spoiled brat, Ross!” he said curtly. “You promised to clear your section of land and you’re going to do it or get out of the Pack! We don’t want a Cub who doesn’t do his part or keep a promise.”

The words shocked Ross. “You wouldn’t kick me out—” he stammered, and then with more confidence, he added: “You couldn’t anyhow! You haven’t the authority.”

“Wait until Mr. Hatfield hears about this!”

“So you’re a tattler, Brad?”

“No, I’m not,” the Den Chief replied hotly. “I just want to bring you to a realization of your responsibility to the organization.”

“Aw, you’re taking it too seriously.”

“It will be a serious matter if we lose this site after all the work we’ve done here.”

“Oh, keep your shirt on!” Ross retorted. Angrily, he turned and started away from the two boys.

“You’re refusing to do the work?” Brad called after him.

“Who said I was?” Ross flung over his shoulder. “It will be done. Just don’t rush me.”