CHAPTER 14 Clues
Dan and Brad shared the opinion of the other Cubs that their "fun" timeswere nearly at an end at the Castle.
Parting company with the other boys, they discussed the matter as theywalked toward their homes.
"I'll bet a cent Mr. Kain won't allow us to go poking around in thewoods," Brad remarked. "I especially wanted to see if we could find anyclues as to how the fire started."
"Why don't we go out there now by ourselves?"
"I'd like to," Brad replied. "I sure would. But it wouldn't be cricket.Mr. Kain takes it for granted we'll only go there when he's around towatch-dog us."
"I guess you're right," Dan admitted ruefully. "What we could do though,is to get there early on Saturday. If we're lucky, we might get an hour'sjump on Mr. Kain."
During the next few days, the Cubs made what arrangements they could forcostumes. The mothers of the two Dens came through splendidly, fashioninggarments of whatever materials they had on hand.
On the whole, the Cubs felt that the play would not be quite the flopthey had feared. Nevertheless, resentment flared again when Rossdisplayed the elegant costume he had purchased at a theatrical supplystore.
Among some of the boys it was whispered that Ross still expected to beawarded the star role in the play.
And though Dan and Brad tried to quiet such rumblings, the Cubs continuedto hint that he might have had something to do with starting thedisastrous fire.
"If Ross is innocent, the Cubs are doing him a terrible injustice," Bradsaid to his friend early Saturday. The two boys had walked to the Castlegrounds, 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 havesignificance."
The two boys were hopeful of coming upon evidence to indicate that thefire 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 theblackened, charred area, they found not a single clue. They did observethat 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 awooded area. Anyway, you can see the fire didn't start in this pile ofbrush. It spread from some distance back."
Dan agreed with his friend's observation. Both could see where the firehad followed a line of least resistance along a winding road.
"Say, I wonder where that road leads?" Dan speculated. "I never noticedit here before."
Curious to learn whether or not it joined the main road, they followed itfor a short distance.
Before the boys had gone far, they discovered that it twisted in amongthe trees, leading behind the Castle. From there it swung to the right,presently coming out within view of the adjoining estate. By this timethe Cubs had learned that the property was owned by a ColonelBrekenridge.
"No sense going any farther," Brad said, halting. "For all we know, wemay be trespassing on Brekenridge land. If the Colonel's gardener shouldspot us, he'd make trouble."
"The road hasn't been used much of late," Dan said, noting that it wasclogged with grass.
Pausing in the clearing, the boys gazed toward the pillared Brekenridgehome. 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 Danabruptly halted to study a charred irregular area at the side of theroad.
"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 leadingtoward 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 thebonfire. "Someone built this, and didn't put it out entirely. Then theperson went off."
"And it slowly spread," Dan agreed. "First in this narrow tail, and thenafter it struck that section of dry leaves and grass it spread outrapidly through the woods."
The boys carefully examined the dead embers. Beside them was a blackenedtin can which had been used for cooking purposes. Dan also picked up ahalf-burned stick with the remains of a roasted weiner still attached.
"This fire must have been started by a boy," he said slowly. "Or possiblyby a tramp. Brad, do you suppose it could have been Ross?"
"He wouldn't build a fire as carelessly as this," the Den Chief pointedout. "He's had Cub training in how to lay his sticks. No, I'm more thanever convinced, Dan, that the fire wasn't his fault."
Decidedly relieved to think that they had found evidence which tended toexonerate Ross, the two Cubs traced the start of the fire. Plainly theycould see where it had leaped over a narrow ditch and then moved inseveral directions.
"If Ross didn't start the fire, who did?" Dan speculated as the boysstarted down the road again. "Our mysterious Ghost of the Castle?"
"Could be. I'd like to catch that guy who keeps horning into ourpictures. Maybe we will too!"
"Any ideas?" Dan asked.
Before Brad could reply, both boys were startled to hear a babble ofvoices ahead on the trail.
"Sounds like a delegation," Brad murmured. "I wonder if the Cubs havearrived for rehearsals."
Rounding a bend of the road, the two boys caught a glimpse of four Den 2boys who had gathered in a huddle.
Their backs were to Dan and Brad. So earnestly were they talking, thatthey failed to observe the approach of the two Cubs.
"Mr. Hatfield can't and won't do anything," Dan and Brad heard Red saydistinctly. "We all know Ross is guilty. So it's up to us to see thathe's punished."
"Sure, and let's think up a good one," proposed Chips. "We've got toteach that little guy a lesson he won't forget!"
Dan Carter and the Haunted Castle Page 14