CHAPTER 3 Robin Hood’s Strong Box

Excited by Dan’s discovery, the other three boys clustered about him.

“Let me look up that chimney,” Ross said. In his eagerness to see, he rather rudely shoved Dan aside.

The Den 1 boy thrust his arm far up the dirty flue, groping about in the niche.

“Nothing here,” he reported in disgust. “Not a thing.”

“I could have told you that if you’d have given me a chance,” said Dan, still annoyed by the older boy’s lack of manners. “It’s a dandy hiding place though, and deserves a name. Let’s call it Robin Hood’s Strong Box.”

“You and your kid games!” Ross scoffed. “It’s just a hole behind a loose brick.”

Brad had taken his turn at examining the niche.

“I’m sure it was built into the chimney as a hiding place,” he declared.

“At any rate, it would make a good one,” added Midge, siding with Dan. “What better name for it than Robin Hood’s Strong Box?”

“All in favor of that name say ‘aye’,” directed Brad.

Ross voted a very loud “no” which the other Cubs ignored.

“The ayes have it,” Brad announced.

As he spoke, the Cubs distinctly heard footsteps in a corridor adjoining the room where they stood. They listened a moment, thinking that another Cub had followed them into the house.

But the footsteps, instead of coming closer, receded.

“Who’s there?” called Brad. “Is that you, Fred?”

There was no answer.

Certain that someone had been in the house, the boys quickly went through the lower rooms. All were deserted.

“That’s funny,” Dan said, deeply puzzled. “I was sure I heard someone.”

“It sounded as if whoever it was might have been sneaking up on us too,” Midge added uneasily.

“Oh, you guys have been reading too much Robin Hood,” Ross muttered. “I’ve seen enough of this old place. Let’s explore outside.”

Dan and the others would have preferred to roam through the mansion for a while longer. However, to avoid an argument with Ross, they gave in to him.

Leaving by the same window through which they had entered, Brad fastened the catch behind them.

“I wonder if the bank knows this window is broken?” he remarked. “I think I’ll drop in there tomorrow and tell them.”

“A good idea,” approved Dan. “Prowlers could do a lot of damage here.”

In returning to the archery range, the Cubs chose a by-path which led past a narrow, pebbly brook.

The ribbon of water was spanned by a narrow bridge constructed from two logs.

“Say, this place is made to order for our Robin Hood movie!” Dan exclaimed as he saw the log bridge. “Just the props we need for a scene between Robin and Little John!”

“You’ll be Robin Hood, I take it?” Ross cut in, annoyed that the younger boy should think of all the ideas.

“Oh, pipe down, Ross!” Brad silenced him.

“You heard Mr. Hatfield say that role will be chosen after we have an archery contest.”

“Oh, Ross may play the bridge scene if he wants to,” Dan said with a chuckle.

“Mighty generous of you,” Ross retorted. “You know I’ll win the part anyway.”

“Don’t be too sure of that,” Midge cut in. “If I remember correctly, you made that same boast—that you would win—the time we had the swimming meet. Remember? Dan didn’t have much to say, but he came in ahead and won the cup for the Den.”

“Aw, I was off form that week,” Ross muttered. “I won’t even need to practice to beat all the Cubs at archery.”

“Modest, aren’t you?” Brad grinned. “Well, time will tell.”

The four boys returned to the archery range where Mr. Hatfield was instructing the Cubs. He warned them that one might be injured by thrusting the breast into the way of the bowstring, or by overdrawing.

“While you are learning, it is better never to practice unless Mr. Holloway or I can be with you,” he advised.

He added, however, that Ross, Dan, Brad and Midge, who understood fairly well how to handle a bow, might be excepted from the rule.

“We’ve had enough practice for one day, I think,” Mr. Hatfield ended the session. “Now to assign a few of the roles—tentatively, of course.”

“Am I Robin Hood?” demanded Ross.

“We’ll not select that role today,” the Cub leader replied. “Probably before the final choice is made, several boys will be tried out in the part. Acting ability as well as archery skill is required, you know.”

Mr. Hatfield then announced that Brad had been selected for the role of Little John. Midge would be Friar Tuck and Chips would play Allan-a-Dale.

“I want to take at least one scene this afternoon to test out lighting effects,” Mr. Holloway told the boys. “The film probably won’t be used in the final screening, but it will point up some of the defects we must overcome. Any ideas for a test scene, boys?”

“Dan has one,” grinned Brad.

“Let’s have it,” Mr. Holloway invited.

Dan described the brook with the log bridge. “The setting would be perfect for a prologue scene between Little John and Robin Hood,” he declared. “But since Robin Hood hasn’t been selected—”

“I want to play the part,” Ross broke in. “Dan can take his turn trying out later on. I want to do the first scene with Brad.”

“All right,” agreed Mr. Holloway, his eyes twinkling. “Suppose you describe the scene, Dan. Tell us what happens.”

“Robin Hood meets Little John at the bridge. Both seek to cross first. To settle the dispute, they cut themselves cudgels and duel with them on the log bridge.”

“Little John gets pushed in?” Ross asked with relish.

“Oh, no,” chuckled Dan. “Robin Hood is the loser in this contest, and tumbles into the soup. Then he blows three blasts on his horn and all the members of his band swarm out of the forest.”

“I don’t think Robin Hood should get a ducking,” Ross protested quickly. “That’s not in keeping with the star part.”

“It’s in keeping with the story,” Mr. Holloway assured him. “We must keep our script true to fact, you know.”

“Well, I’m not keen to take a ducking,” Ross announced. “Dan may do the first scene. I’ll take my turn later.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Chips said quickly. “You asked for the part, so you get it.”

“We can omit the ducking today,” Mr. Holloway settled the matter. “Well, let’s go!”

He brought his moving picture camera equipment from the car and joined the boys at the bridge. Brad and Ross armed themselves with sticks cut from branches of a tree.

After the scene had been fully discussed, the two boys took their places on either side of the bridge. The other Cubs from both Den 1 and 2 remained in the woods, ready to swarm out when Robin Hood should blow three shrill blasts on his horn.

“We’re minus a horn today, but by our next practice we’ll have one,” Mr. Hatfield said. “Also, the Den mothers have promised to help us out by making Lincoln green woodsmen costumes for all who act in the play.”

The filming of the scene began. Repeatedly Ross had to be warned by Mr. Hatfield to “take it easy.”

Although the script called for him to be tumbled into the water, he seemed determined that Brad should be pushed off the log.

Back and forth Brad and Ross whacked with their sticks as the film recording was made.

Mr. Holloway was on the verge of signaling the end of the scene, when the Den 1 boy made a quick lunge at Brad. The latter moved sideways, failing entirely to parry the blow with his own stick.

Caught off balance, Ross fell slightly forward and lost his footing. Before he could save himself or Brad could offer a helping hand, he fell sideways into the shallow water.

As Ross sprawled amid the lily pads, the watching Cubs burst into laughter. The day was warm and the creek waters exceedingly shallow. The ducking, they knew, would do the boy no harm, and was a fate quite deserved.

“Are you all right, Ross?” Mr. Holloway asked.

Putting aside his camera, he ran to help the boy.

Still chuckling at the mishap, the other Cubs gathered around.

“Brad did that on purpose!” Ross said, angrily pulling off a lily pad which had plastered against his face. “Look at me!”

“You’re a little dampish,” Brad grinned. “I’m sorry you slipped. I didn’t touch your stick, you know.”

“This scene is stupid!” Ross fumed. “I’ve had enough of Robin Hood for one day! I’m going home.”

“I’ll take you,” Mr. Holloway offered sympathetically. “You should get into dry clothes right away.”

As the two walked toward the parked car, Ross made a sorry sight indeed. His shoes and trousers were caked with mud and a lily pad still clung to the back of his shirt.

“That was a ripping scene,” Brad laughed, once Ross was beyond hearing. “Falling into the brink may cure that know-it-all of wanting to hog the best scenes. I thought I’d die laughing when he fell in!”

“You weren’t the only one,” said Dan in an odd tone of voice. “Did you hear laughter from the woods?”

“From the woods?” Brad echoed, rather mystified. “The other Cubs, you mean?”

“No,” Dan replied soberly. “The laughter came from far off. It was a strange, almost ghostly laugh. I think it came from the general direction of the castle.”

“That is queer, Dan. None of the Cubs were over there during the filming of the brook scene.”

“I know,” Dan admitted with an uneasy chuckle.

“Who do you think it was?”

“I don’t know,” Dan replied. “It seems though, that our castle may be haunted. And by a ghost with a keen sense of humor!”