Mr. Hatfield

“ I heard it again! Someone is running through the underbrush!”
The other three had halted to listen.
“You’re right, Brad!” exclaimed Mr. Hatfield. “It must be Red!”
Their hope revived, the four shouted the missing boy’s name repeatedly. To their intense relief, an answering shout came from the left of the trail.
“That’s Red!” cried Brad.
“He’s over by the ravine, just as I thought!” added Mr. Hatfield. “Keep shouting, so he can find us. We’ll wait here on the trail.”
Five minutes later, Red struggled through the bushes and brambles to confront his would-be rescuers with a sheepish grin. ”

“ Mr. Hatfield thought aloud. “Well, let’s get back and report to the Cubs. It’s risky standing here in the open.”
After taking one more peek through the dirty pane of glass, the boys followed the Cub leader to the shelter of trees. There they were bombarded with a multitude of questions.
[182]
“Let’s march into that shack in a body and make that tramp give up the money!” Chips proposed boldly. “Then we’ll have him arrested!”
“Aren’t you putting the cart before the horse?” Mr. Hatfield suggested. “It’s far wiser to have him arrested first and let the police demand the money.” ”

“ Dan said indignantly. “I may not be an artist, but my picture isn’t that bad. I’m going to give that old Indian a chunk of my mind!”
“Let me handle this, boys,” Mr. Hatfield said.
He went ahead of the Cubs to the hogan where Fred, Mack and Red were talking to the two Indians. The pair did not appear unfriendly, but as Chips had said, their inspection of the camp had not been very polite.
“Good afternoon,” Mr. Hatfield introduced himself. He extended his hand, and gave his name. “I’m the Cub leader here. Anything we can do for you?”
Neither White Nose or Eagle Feather made reply. ”

“ All the Cubs liked him.
Next Mr. Hatfield called the name of his own son, Fred, who replied with a loud “How! Me heap big Injun!”
The roll call also included Mack Tibbets, Chips Davis and Midge Holloway, a son of the Den Dad. But when Red Suell’s name was spoken, he did not respond.
“Where’s Red?” Mr. Hatfield inquired. In the flickering firelight he could not see the boys’ faces distinctly. “Not here yet?”
“Late again,” drawled Chips. “You know Red. He never can make a meeting on time.”
[3]
“I thought he’d be here tonight,” said Brad. “He had something special on his mind. ”

“ Hatfield rather anxiously. No one wanted to be assigned to remain behind.
“Oh, except for a few tools, we have nothing here today of great value,” Mr. Hatfield said. “We’ll take a chance.”
The Cubs proceeded to the site of the cave, following Mr. Hatfield, Brad and Dan along the shore. Tangles of brush and willows frequently caused the group to detour away from the river. So when finally they located the mouth of the cavern again, it was much later than the Cub leader had expected.
“There’s no time to waste,” he told the Cubs. “We can’t afford to be caught here after dark. ”

“ Mr. Hatfield did not directly answer the question. Instead he said: “I’m not indulging in any fancy speculation. Just wanted to check up on a few points, that’s all.”
Whistling a line from “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles,” the Cub leader set off down the old road. Rather mystified, Dan and Brad tagged at his heels.
[49]
A short distance farther on, Mr. Hatfield paused to study automobile tire tracks plainly visible in the grass and sand.
“A car must have been through here two or three times at least,” he commented. “Where does this road lead, I wonder?” ”

“ White Nose and Eagle Feather could be very bad medicine, if one met ’em on a dark night.”
Mr. Hatfield spoke firmly.
“The Cubs,” he said, “will concern themselves with organization affairs. We’re not getting mixed in any tribal feuds. Get that straight!”
“Yes, sir,” replied the Cubs, speaking as one. And Red added: “I wouldn’t have anything to do with ’em, even if you’d give me a prize turquoise toad!”
[113]
“From now on,” said Mr. Hatfield, issuing a further order, “no one is to remain in camp alone. Mr. Holloway or I always will try to be here. ”

“ You didn’t move it, Brad?”
“Haven’t been inside this hogan all day.”
“Well, it went the same way the blanket did,” Mr. Hatfield said grimly. “Frankly, Brad, I don’t like the way things are disappearing.”
“That paddle too,” Brad recalled. “The Cubs still blame Ross.”
“I don’t think he took it,” Mr. Hatfield said. “Ross isn’t a thief. Someone else is prowling around this camp. We’ll have to be very careful about leaving anything of value lying around, even during the daytime. Warn the Cubs.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ Mr. Hatfield already had made up his mind. He spoke decisively:
“The most important thing now is to get the money box to a safe place. I’ll take it home for tonight.”
Well satisfied with the decision, the Cubs trooped back into the church to gather together their belongings.
With the exception of Brad and Dan, the other Cubs lived close by. The two boys were to ride with Mr. Hatfield and his son Fred.
“The storm has let up now, so I’ll trust the rest of you to shift for yourselves,” the Cub leader said. “Go straight to your homes and don’t stop along the way to pick any daisies. ”

“ Hatfield stood. Farther on, Dan and Brad could see that it widened to a sizeable floor.
“Be careful,” Mr. Hatfield warned as the Cubs came on. “There’s a sharp drop-off here at the entrance into the chamber. I couldn’t probe it with my stick. The pool must be over a man’s head.”
“Is this the end of it?” Brad asked, pausing.
“It’s as far as we’re going today. Maybe it’s as far as we’ll ever go. I’m satisfied now that the underground stream empties into James Lake. The tunnel through to the lake may be too small for exploration. ”

“ Then, pulling a chair up beside the gasoline lamp, he reverted to his favorite occupation—that of trying to solve the coded message left by Jacques.
“Having any luck?” Mr. Hatfield presently inquired.
[96]
“Not yet.” Dan dropped his pencil in a gesture of utter discouragement. “I guess I’m a sap to waste time trying to figure it out. Maybe it isn’t even a code.”
Mr. Hatfield paused at the table to study the scratch pad on which the boy had been writing.
“Don’t give up, Dan,” he advised, resting his hand for a moment on his shoulder. “Worthwhile things usually come hard. Keep plugging.” ”

“ Dr. Evans says he’s not in bad shape and has a good, strong physique.”
“Yes, it’s practically certain he’s the artist,” Mr. Hatfield declared. “The drawings on the cave wall reveal his skill. Poor fellow! He seems to have no memory of what he did after he came to Webster City.”
“Wonder what became of White Nose and Eagle Feather?” Dan worried. “Someone ought to find them and tell them the truth about Miquel.”
“We’ll attempt to locate them,” Mr. Hatfield promised. “Just now, we have a pow-wow on our hands. The Cubs haven’t had anything to eat. Furthermore, there’s one more event on the program. ”

“ Midge exclaimed, staring at a confusion of prints in the sand. “Doesn’t this look as if a scuffle took place, Mr. Hatfield?”
“It does,” agreed the Cub leader, praising Midge for his observation. “Either Jacques stumbled or was given a hard shove. One can see plainly where he fell down.”
The trail of footprints led the Cubs on to a paved road paralleling the river front. There it abruptly ended.
“Well, we’ve lost them,” Mr. Hatfield said, gazing up and down the deserted highway.
“And now we’ll never know who Jacques was or where he came from,” Dan said. ”

“ Dan denied. “Mr. Hatfield is our leader. Brad is the Den Chief, and I’m the Denner. Naturally, we make suggestions sometimes that the other fellows carry out. But we aren’t bossy about it.”
“Cubs nevertheless are required to obey orders and follow the rules,” Mr. Hatfield said quietly. “Society is built upon regulations. Otherwise one would have chaos.”
“When one person defies or disregards rules, it means hardship for someone else,” added Burton Holloway, driving home the point. ”

“ The Cubs ate their fill and then listened as Mr. Hatfield outlined plans for the morning.
“I’ll take Dan, Brad and Chips with me to Webster City to pick up a few supplies,” the Cub leader said. “Also to attend to an important errand. Mr. Suell has planned a hike for those who remain behind.”
“I’d rather go to Webster City,” said Mack, who suspected that he was being excluded from an important mission.
“Me too,” chimed in Midge. “Can’t we all go?”
“Not this time,” Mr. Hatfield turned them down. “We’ll make a full report when we get back.” ”

“ Brad and I were the first to arrive on the scene. The fire had a good start then.”
“If it hadn’t been for Brad and Dan, I think the bank would have lost their building,” Mr. Hatfield interposed quietly. “To replace it at present costs would require in the neighborhood of a hundred thousand dollars, I should judge.”
“The house has no such value as it stands,” Mr. Kain said. “However, the bank is grateful to the Cubs. It’s not that. But you see our position. With so much at stake, we can’t risk having irresponsible—”
“The Cubs are not irresponsible,” Mr. Hatfield said firmly. ”

“ Hatfield and the two police officers into the house.
Captain Eggleston began the interview by asking routine questions of both Dan and Mr. Hatfield. Then abruptly he announced that a check had been made of the car license number noted down by the Cubs on the night of the heavy rain storm.
“The automobile belongs to Frank Jankowski, a salesman for the V. H. Everetts Hardware Co.,” he informed.
“Mr. Jankowski!” Dan exclaimed.
“Obviously, the boys were mistaken in thinking that the car was following us,” Mr. Hatfield said. “Imagination plays strange tricks on the mind. ”

“ Chips went on excitedly. “The nerve of him ordering us away! Why, he may have broken in and be living there!”
“Without the contractor or the owner knowing anything about it,” agreed Dan soberly. “Say, we ought to tell Mr. Hatfield about this.”
At that moment, the Cub leader joined the group. He had been too far away to see the stranger or to hear any of the conversation. However, from the excited comment of the boys, he knew something was amiss. ”

“ Warning the Cubs to remain in the car, he stepped out onto the road just as the two waded up carrying their heavy luggage.
“Stuck?” he inquired casually.
“Looks like it, don’t it?” growled Jake Freeze. “You can’t get through with your car. I’d advise you to turn around and go back the way you came.”
“Guess I will,” Mr. Hatfield said easily. “You’re abandoning your station wagon?”
“We’re in a hurry to catch a train,” Freeze answered. “We’ll have it towed in by a garage.”
“Maybe I can give you a lift to town,” Mr. Hatfield offered, stalling for time.
“Sure, we’ll appreciate it,” Bauer growled. ”

“ Mr. Hatfield observed. “In that case, they may elude us.”
“Can’t we try to stop them?”
“We can try, Dan. But without an arrest warrant or proof that the men are guilty of any crime, there’s very little we can do.”
Just then Brad came hurrying down the hillside to the car.
“I reached Silverton and he’s called police!” he reported breathlessly. “A cruiser or patrol car should come along in a few minutes. Silverton and Dobbs are driving over too. They’re ready to swear out a warrant.”
“Good!” Mr. Hatfield exclaimed. “But will we be able to hold the pair until help gets here?” ”

“ The other Cubs echoed his demand. Mr. Hatfield and Mr. Holloway had, of course, anticipated the request and were prepared for it.
The night before they had discussed the matter and had decided to undertake the exploration. A long light rope had been obtained, as well as an ample supply of powerful flashlights and extra batteries.
“Okay,” Mr. Hatfield consented to the request. “We’ll explore the cave, if it can be done safely. Let’s go.”
“How about leaving someone to watch our camp,” Brad reminded the group. “It seems that something disappears every time we turn our backs.” ”

“ Gazing down over the cement railing, Dan and Brad saw boxes, boards, logs and miscellaneous debris swept past. Other refuse of the river had lodged in quieter waters. Foam rose in a soapy sea around the bridge pillars where the waves slapped high.
But there was no sign of the missing boat.
“Guess it was too much to expect,” Mr. Hatfield said, turning away from the railing. “Well, nothing to do but organize a search tomorrow. I’m afraid though, that the boat will be badly battered by the time we recover it.”
[193]
Mr. Hatfield and the Cubs returned to the parked automobile and drove on. ”

“ Both attended practice sessions faithfully, but Fred in particular had no deep interest in the game, preferring to read.
[71]
Mr. Hatfield attended the work-outs whenever he could. He was very busy, however, and frequently was summoned to special meetings with Scout leaders, court officials and attorneys. That the Cubmaster was deeply worried over the pending lawsuit was obvious from his preoccupied manner. ”