CHAPTER 11 Dan's Discovery
Dan stood at the entrance to a path which had been masked with a pile ofdead brush.
"Just what have you found?" Chips demanded as he and the other Cubshurried over. "I don't see anything to make a howl about."
"Then look at this!"
Dan lifted away the pile of brush. Beyond they saw a freshly made pathwhich wound through a dense tunnel of overhanging bushes.
"It's just another trail," said Red in disappointment. "The way youyipped, I thought you'd made an important discovery, Dan."
"Don't be so cock-sure this isn't important," Brad caught him up.Stooping, he peered up the path, trying to see in which direction it led.
"What's important about it?" Red demanded. "Mr. Silverton's farm hasdozens of trails. We saw 'em marked on the map, didn't we?"
"That's the point," drawled Dan. "I don't think this trail ever was onthe map."
"Got it with you?" Brad asked.
"The map?" Dan dug in one pocket after another. "I don't think Ihave--yes, here it is!"
Emerging from the path so as to obtain a better light, Brad studied themap. In the deepening shadows, he barely could make out the markings, andwas unable to locate the trail.
"You're right, Dan," he said finally. "This trail doesn't appear onSilverton's map."
"Anything so remarkable about that?" Chips demanded. "Maybe the path wasmade after he drew up the map."
"Smart deduction," Brad grinned, returning the map to Dan. "But made bywhom? That's the fifty dollar question."
"Maybe by those fellows in the station wagon who've been using the oldlogging road," Dan offered his theory.
"Might be," Brad admitted. "It all fits in. The natural bridge--thispath."
"What fits in where?" Chips demanded in an aggrieved tone. "You guysthink you're funny, talking in code?"
"We're not hiding anything," Brad denied. "All the clues are plain to seeif you know how to read 'em."
"What you're saying doesn't make sense to me."
"Nor me," added Red.
"Well, it's like this, kiddies," grinned Brad. "You and Chips found a lotof pheasant feathers here, didn't you?"
"Check."
"And not far from the same spot, Mr. Silverton or Dobbs come upon twodead birds. Check?"
"Sure," admitted Red, "but I still don't see--"
"We know someone has been using the old logging road. Well, maybe thatlog jam was put in the creek for a purpose."
"To make a bridge across," supplied Dan. "Whoever did it, wanted the damto look natural."
"You think someone planned to flood the pheasant runs?" Chips asked.
"No," Brad explained patiently, "that part probably was an accident. Thebridge was just a convenient means of getting into this section of thewoodland."
"Then you believe someone has been stealing pheasants from Mr.Silverton?" Red said slowly.
"Ah, the bright boy is catching on!" declared Brad.
"Your theory may sound good to you, but I'd say it's full of holes like asieve," Red retorted.
"For instance?"
"Well, Saul Dobbs must have known about that log jam. And living on theplace, how could he help but know if a strange car used the old road?"
"That's what I'm wondering myself."
Hardly knowing what to do, Brad stood staring thoughtfully up the dark,mysterious looking path. It had not been used many times, he knew, forthe grass was worn thin in only a few places. Elsewhere, it merely washeavily trampled.
Though tempted to see where the trail led, he hesitated to take time toexplore it. Soon it would be quite dark, and none of the Cubs had broughta flashlight.
Furthermore, with night coming on, the air was becoming chilly. In theirdamp clothing, the boys already were thoroughly uncomfortable.
"What do you say, Brad?" Dan asked eagerly. "Shall we find out where thispath leads?"
The question stirred the Den Chief to decision.
"We might follow it a little ways," he said. "But someone ought to stayhere, just in case Mack or Fred should come looking for us."
"I don't want to stay--not alone," announced Chips, as the Den Chief'sgaze singled him out.
"Then you and Red wait here together," Brad directed. "Dan and I won't begone long."
"If you hear us whistle twice, come a-running," Chips advised as the pairstarted off together. "Mr. Hatfield may get back any minute and want usall in a hurry."
With Dan leading the way, the two boys walked swiftly along the path. Theground sloped upward away from the general direction of the creek. Allalong the tunnel of bushes, Brad noticed broken branches, indicating tohis observing eye that an object wider than the path itself had beencarried along the trail.
"I hardly can see ahead," Dan complained. "It's sure getting dark fast."
"Since we've come this far, let's keep on a little longer," Brad urged."I think I see a clearing ahead."
A few yards more and the pair came to a small lean-to constructed ofsecond-hand lumber marred by numerous knot holes. The building, low tothe ground, had been set back almost out of sight amid the bushes.
"What's this?" Dan asked, for they had come to the end of the path.
"Looks a little like a tool shed, only I don't think it could be," Bradsaid, equally puzzled. "Let's have a look inside."
The ill-fitting door had a bolt and padlock. However, the latter hungloosely and had not been snapped shut.
Brad opened the door and peered into the dark interior.
"Nothing here," he reported, and then corrected himself. "Yes, there istoo! Looks like a crate of something."
Diving into the lean-to, he pulled the crate out where they both couldsee it.
"Pheasants!" exclaimed Dan. "Two of them!"
"Beauties if you ask me, Dan. What kind are they?"
"This one looks like a Germain peacock type," Dan said, identifying itfrom a picture he had seen in a library book. "Gray plumage eyed withmetallic spots. His tail probably would spread out if he weren't coopedup."
"And the other one?"
"It might be an Impevan pheasant," Dan said doubtfully. "That greencrested head and red neck feathers would make me think so."
"For all of me, it could be a grouse," Brad chuckled. "Wonder why thesebirds are cooped up here without any food or water, and not too muchair?"
"Brad, you don't suppose--"
Dan did not finish what he had intended to say, for at that momentrunning footsteps pounded on the path.
"Someone's coming--but fast!" Brad muttered, shoving the crate back intothe lean-to. "Hide!"
He drew Dan back deep into the bushes behind the building.
Scarcely had the two taken cover, than a bedraggled figure bounded intoview. In relief, the pair saw that it was Red who had followed them.
"Brad! Dan!" he hissed in a stage whisper.
Mystified by his secrecy, the pair stepped from their hiding place.
"Quick! Duck back out of sight!" Red muttered in warning. "They're comingthis way!"
"Who's coming?" Brad demanded.
"A couple of men. I don't know who they are."
"Where did you see them?" Dan asked, for as yet he heard no sound on thetrail.
"Listen!" Red said, his words fairly tumbling over each other. "Fred andMack saw 'em coming up the log road in a station wagon. When they came tothe water, they parked and crossed the bridge afoot."
"They?" Brad caught him up.
"I tell you I don't know who they were. Fred and Mack were on this sideof the log bridge. When they saw those birds coming, they hid in thewoods to watch."
"Were they seen by the men, Red?"
"I don't think so. Mack sneaked on ahead to warn you. He's with Chips nowat the entrance to this path."
"And the men are coming this way?"
"I didn't wait to see, but I think so."
"Jeepers!" Brad muttered. "If they see that the bushes were pulled awayfro
m the path, they'll be suspicious."
"Mack and Chips took care of that. They put the brush back in place. Theonly thing that might give us away unless we're seen, are footprints. Andit's too dark to make them out now."
"Listen!" Dan warned, grasping Brad's hand. "I can hear someone coming upthe path now."
"Duck!" Red advised, taking shelter in the thicket.
Brad started to follow his example, then thought of something.
"That crate of pheasants!" he whispered to Dan. "Help me with it."
Dan could not guess what the Den Chief intended to do, but there was notime to ask questions. As Brad carefully swung open the door, he liftedout the crate.
"Easy, so those birds don't start squawking," Brad cautioned. "Shift itinto the bushes."
With Red's help, Dan lifted the crate back out of sight. Meanwhile, Bradhad closed the door of the lean-to.
The approaching footfalls and murmur of voices now were very close.
Flattening himself on the ground, Brad crawled into the bushes,disappearing into their shelter just as two men entered the clearing.