CHAPTER 8 A WISH FULFILLED
Knowing that he had been recognized, Pat grinned sheepishly at Dan.
"I'm here with a friend of mine," he muttered. "These birds haven't gotanything on me--no sir!"
Dan had his own idea of why Pat might be in court, but he pretended toaccept the explanation. He had heard at school that a group of boys hadbeen loitering near the railroad tracks, boarding freight trains, andotherwise making a nuisance of themselves. Undoubtedly, Pat and some ofhis cronies had been brought in by police for questioning.
This was confirmed a moment later as one of the court referees came outof his private office and motioned to Pat.
"I'll talk to you next," he said. "Come in."
Pat cast a quick look at Dan, and ducked into the conference room.
The tour of the big courthouse continued. Dan could not fail to note thatChub seemed rather familiar with the Juvenile Court section of thebuilding. More than ever he was convinced that the new Cub member wasknown to some of the referees as well as the court director. Chub,however, maintained his usual shy silence and offered no explanation.
The boy's familiarity with the building did not escape the attention ofthe other Cubs. As they were leaving after the tour, Red sidled over toDan.
"What do you think about Chub?" he whispered.
"Nothing, why?"
"Did you notice how the court director knew him?"
"Sure, but what of it?"
"Well--" Red was rather ashamed of his own suspicions. "I just wonder ifmaybe he hasn't been in some trouble--"
"I wouldn't do too much speculating," Dan said to end the talk. "Don'tyou like Chub?"
"Sure, but--"
"No buts then, Red. Mr. Hatfield told us Chub was okay, and that's enoughfor me."
"Same here," Red shrugged. "I was just thinking, that's all."
During the next few days the Cubs devoted many hours to basketballpractice. When not otherwise occupied they worked on the cardboard fortin the meeting room and perfected plans for the coming Friday nightparty.
The problem of finding an ice cream freezer still confronted the Cubs. OnThursday, only a day before the scheduled affair to honor parents, theboys admitted that they were up against it.
"We'll have to buy our ice cream," Brad said to the Den members as theysat discussing the matter in their clubroom. "Mr. Hatfield has been toobusy to do anything about finding a freezer, and the rest of us have hadno luck."
"The party won't be any good without homemade ice cream," Midge saidgloomily. "I wanted to turn the freezer too!"
"No use moaning about it," Brad replied. "We'll have a good party justthe same. At any rate we'll have the big fort on display. Fred and hishelpers did a fine job building it."
"Thanks," Fred said, warming to the praise. "It was a lot of work makingthe thing."
The fort, constructed of cut and painted sheets of cardboard, was areplica of an old pioneer historical building which the boys had visitedseveral months before. Fred had spent weeks on the task, working outevery detail with care. Now the structure was finished, ready for displayat the Friday party.
"By the way, there's one business matter to come before the group," Bradresumed. "We have a request to consider from Pat Oswald."
"He wants to cancel the game!" Chips guessed.
"Quite the contrary. He and his boys are taking the tournament veryseriously. Pat demands a chance to practice in our gymnasium before thegame."
A silence fell upon the room. Then Red said grumpily: "Maybe he'd like tohave us turn over the whole place to him!"
"The request seemed like a reasonable one."
Dan spoke up. "I think we should agree to let them use the gym. That is,if Mr. Hatfield says it is all right. The church gym wasn't built for ourspecial use."
"Pat doesn't go to this church," Red growled. "He doesn't attend anychurch. Do him good if he did!"
"Cubs are supposed to be FAIR," Dan reminded him. "We agreed to a seriesof three games. Now do we want it to be an honest test of athletic skill,or do we want to win at any cost?"
"Oh, let 'em use the gym," Red gave in, knowing all the other Cubsfavored Brad's viewpoint. "Someone ought to keep watch though, whilethey're here. They might decide to wreck the place, the way they did theold church."
"That hasn't been proven," Brad said. "Anyway, you may be sure adultswill supervise the practice closely."
Chub, who had been seated nearest the door, suddenly jumped up.
"What's wrong?" Midge asked him. "You're as nervous as a cat."
"I--I thought I heard someone in the hall."
"Maybe it's Mr. Hatfield coming," Brad said, glancing at the wall clock."He's a tiny bit late again. Probably another meeting with Mr. Maxwell'slawyer."
The Cubs waited a moment, listening. Mr. Hatfield did not appear, but Danthought he heard an outside door softly close.
"Maybe Pat and his gang have been eavesdropping again!" he cried.
The Cubs ran out into the shadowy corridor. It was quite deserted. Butthere against the wall, neatly positioned like twin sentinels, were twolarge ice cream freezers.
"Whoopee!" chortled Midge. "See what Santa Claus brought us!"
"Freezers!" Chips laughed, cavorting around them. "Just when we had givenup hope too."
While the other Cubs were examining the mysterious gifts, Dan and Bradhastened on to the outer door.
They reached it in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of someone vanishinginto a clump of bushes to the left of the churchyard.
"That wasn't Mr. Hatfield, was it?" Dan demanded.
"Too tall," Brad replied. "Anyway, he wouldn't have left the freezers inthe hallway."
"Maybe it was one of the Den Dads. Odd though, that whoever it was,didn't rap on the clubroom door and wait to be thanked. Anyway, I'm sureglad to get those freezers!"
Brad kept frowning thoughtfully as he walked back to rejoin the otherCubs.
"Anything to show who left the freezers?" he asked Midge. "Any card?"
"Not a thing. They're big ones though. Just what we need for our partytomorrow night."
Dan too had been inspecting the freezers. He remarked that they were thesame size as the ones he had noticed in the old Christian Churchbasement. "Do you suppose they came from there?" he speculated.
"I doubt it," Midge answered carelessly. "Those old trustees haven'trelented one bit. And Terry wouldn't bring them to us--you know that."
"Well, we have 'em and that's what counts," Chips cheerfully declared."Now we can go ahead with our plans. Let's make the ice cream first thingafter school tomorrow night. It should keep if we pack it in ice."
Jubilantly, the Cubs carried the two freezers into the clubroom. Theywere still discussing the strange manner of delivery when Mr. Hatfieldarrived. He had nothing new to report regarding the threatened damagesuit, but expressed amazement that the Den had acquired the creamfreezers.
"I had nothing to do with it," he assured the Cubs. "To be sure, I'veasked a number of people if they knew where we could get some freezers.Perhaps one of our inquiries paid off."
Brad told the Cubmaster of the request Pat Oswald had made with referenceto use of the gymnasium for a basketball practice session.
"No reason why they can't use it for an hour tomorrow night after school,is there?" Mr. Hatfield inquired. "The Cubs will be making ice cream andwon't want the floor themselves."
"Do you think they should be allowed the run of the place?" Redprotested. "You know how Pat and his gang are."
"The practice will be a supervised one. I promise you that," Mr. Hatfieldsaid. "I see no reason why the boys shouldn't be allowed privileges here,providing they don't abuse them."
"You're forgetting how they got us into trouble," Red asserted.
"No, Red. I just believe in fair play, that's all. We agreed to theseries of games, so it's only right that we give the Purple Five a chanceto practice. Right?"
"Oh, I guess
so," Red submitted. "I don't trust Pat, that's all."
Word was carried to Pat that his team might use the gymnasium thefollowing afternoon from three-thirty until four-thirty.
"You mean it?" The boy demanded in surprise when Dan gave him theinformation. "Well, thanks!"
"Say, by the way, you weren't at the church a while ago, were you?" Danasked in an offhand way.
The moment he had asked the question, he regretted it. Once the words hadbeen spoken it was too late to retract them.
"Why, no, why?" Pat demanded.
"Oh, a couple of ice cream freezers were delivered to the Cubs," Danexplained reluctantly. "I thought you might know something about it."
Pat's blank expression convinced Dan that he knew nothing of the matter.More than ever, he was sorry he had brought up the subject.
"What are the Cubs doing with ice cream freezers?" Pat demanded, hiscuriosity aroused. "For that party you're giving tomorrow night, I bet!"
Dan had not suspected that the other knew of the planned social affair.
"How'd you find out about it?" he asked.
Pat grinned provokingly. "That's for me to know and you to find out!" heretorted.
Thrusting hands deep into the pockets of his patched jeans, he saunteredoff.
Dan Carter and the Cub Honor Page 8