CHAPTER 7 "KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD"
As Dan read the note from Pat, the Cubs' first reaction was one ofannoyance.
"Why, the nerve of him!" Fred Hatfield explained. "He sneaks up here,listening to our sessions, and then leaves a cheap challenge!"
"Let's write a hot note back, telling that Purple Five to go jump in anash can!" Red proposed.
Dan and Brad dashed down the corridor to see if they could intercept theintruders. However, Pat and his followers had slipped out a side door andwere out of sight.
The two Cubs knew that it would be useless to search the church yard, sorejoined the other boys in the meeting room. By this time, argument overthe note had attained a high pitch.
Red, Fred and Chips were in favor of rejecting the challenge in shortorder. Chub held no opinion whatsoever. Midge was talking in favor ofgiving the dare serious consideration.
"If we refuse to play, Pat will go all over town, saying we're afraid todo it because we'd be licked," he argued.
"We might at that," Brad interposed. "Our team isn't the smoothest onwheels."
"We haven't practiced much, that's why," Midge insisted. "Why, we couldbeat Pat and his hoodlums with our hands tied behind our backs!"
"I wouldn't be too sure of it myself," Brad said with an easy smile."From what I hear, Pat is a first-rate athlete."
"We saw a sample of his basket shooting the other day," Dan reminded theCubs.
"You think that stupid Purple Five team could beat us?" Red demanded,leaping to his feet. "Why, that's downright disloyal."
Dan hesitated to make his position clear. "I'm not saying any such thing,and I'm not disloyal, Red. Maybe our Cub team, disorganized as it is,could beat the Purple Five. Then again, maybe we couldn't. It might be aninteresting match."
"What if they should lick us?" Chips asked uneasily.
"That's a risk we'd have to take," Brad answered. "Naturally, if wedecide to play, we'll have to get busy and practice."
Mr. Hatfield had taken no part in the discussion, and Dan now asked himwhat he thought of the challenge.
"First, let's hear your opinion, and then I'll speak my piece," the Cubleader replied.
"Well, I'm in favor of picking up the challenge," Dan replied after amoment of thought. "For two reasons. First, if we turn the game down, Patand his gang will go around saying we're afraid of defeat. Then it hit methat if we really want to learn more about those kids and their habits,this would be a mighty good chance!"
"They're a bunch of hoodlums!" Red said resentfully. "It's probably theirfault that the Scout organization is mixed up in a threatened lawsuit.They slap us on one cheek and we hold up another for a big whallop!"
"We only suspect that Pat's outfit did the damage at Christian Church,"Brad said, supporting Dan's position. "If we schedule a game, we mayoverhear talk that will give us a straight lead. What do you think, Mr.Hatfield?"
"Cubs are supposed to give good will," he replied gravely. "Pat and hisgang haven't had many advantages. Contact with a church, a worthwhile Cuborganization and wholesome sportsmanship, might do the outfit a world ofgood."
"Sure, but what about us?" Red argued. "Won't they make more and moretrouble?"
"That's a possibility, Red. But I think the Cubs can look afterthemselves."
"So do I," declared Dan. "Let's arrange a game and then get busy andpractice."
An animated discussion followed as the boys made their plans. Mr.Hatfield suggested that a series of three games be scheduled in thechurch gymnasium. He promised that they would be closely supervised andrules strictly enforced.
"How about charging admission?" Brad suggested. "If the Cub organizationhas to pay for the services of a lawyer, we should be getting some moneyin our treasury."
As a general rule, Mr. Hatfield did not favor selling tickets or chargingadmission for Cub affairs. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the Den'sneed for cash was urgent and that a few extra dollars might be of greathelp.
"We might charge a small amount," he agreed reluctantly. "Twenty-fivecents perhaps."
Only the date for the first game remained to be settled. Mr. Hatfieldsaid he thought it should be set for at least ten days ahead to give theCubs time to practice and better organize their team.
"We can't devote all our time to athletics," he warned the boys."Remember, we have those 'Know Your Neighborhood' visits ahead, not tomention the party for parents. Speaking of the party, I'm ashamed to sayI've been so busy with conferences, I've had no chance to try to look upice cream freezers."
"No one can find any," Midge reported gloomily. "That party will be onebig flop."
"Not at all," Mr. Hatfield cheered him. "I think that it might be well topostpone the affair one week. Another seven days will give us time enoughto round up a freezer or two."
The Cubs were relieved by the change in plan, especially as everyone wasin an uneasy mood regarding the outcome of the threatened lawsuit. Afterelecting Dan captain of the basketball team, they assigned him and Bradto notify Pat Oswald that the challenge had been accepted.
"It's too silly, leaving a note in a bottle in an alley," Brad objected."Why don't we just write an acceptance and mail it to his home."
The latter course was decided upon, and later that night the two boyscomposed the letter and sent it off. Two days later a message wasreturned to the church clubroom, accepting the first basketball game dateand agreeing to the series of three contests.
"The deal is on, and now we've got to buckle down," Dan warned histeammates. "Gobs of practice!"
Determined not to be shown up by the Purple Five, the Cubs spent everyspare hour in the church gymnasium.
Gradually, under the coaching of Brad, the team began to shape up. Danand Midge, having the best eye for basket shooting, were assigned asforwards. Red and Chips, both being sturdily built, were to guard. Bradwould play center, as he had a long reach, and was taller than any of theyounger boys.
Chub and Fred were assigned as substitutes. Neither was very adept athandling a basketball. Both attended practice sessions faithfully, butFred in particular had no deep interest in the game, preferring to read.
Mr. Hatfield attended the work-outs whenever he could. He was very busy,however, and frequently was summoned to special meetings with Scoutleaders, court officials and attorneys. That the Cubmaster was deeplyworried over the pending lawsuit was obvious from his preoccupied manner.
Though basketball had become an absorbing interest, Brad and Dan did notneglect other Cub activities. They made plans for "Know YourNeighborhood" visits, and launched the building of a cardboard fort inthe clubroom. Fred enthusiastically took charge of the work, gatheringmaterials and supervising the construction.
"We're pretty well set for our Mom's and Dad's party, if only we had anice cream freezer," Dan remarked one afternoon. "Mr. Hatfield intended tofind one, but he's been too busy to give it any thought."
"Let's try to rustle it ourselves," Brad proposed. "How about a house tohouse canvas?"
"I've already tried almost every home in our block."
"We could work a new neighborhood, Dan. How about the locality of OldChristian Church?"
"Why there, Brad?"
"Thought we could do a little investigating at the same time. On thepretext of asking for an ice cream freezer, we can question folks in theneighborhood about whether or not there were any witnesses to the damagethat was done."
"Not a bad idea," Dan approved.
The boys hiked to within a block of the old church and then began ringingdoorbells. At each house they voiced a double inquiry. First they askedif an old fashioned ice cream freezer could be borrowed, and then theyinquired for information regarding the recent trouble at the desertedbuilding.
After nearly twenty unfruitful calls, Dan and Brad began to growdiscouraged. No one it seemed had an ice cream freezer, and the onlycomment they obtained relative to the church damage was that "a group ofBoy Scouts did it."
r /> "No witnesses apparently," Brad said, losing heart. "It begins to lookmighty bad for Den 2, Dan."
"Let's try one more house," Dan suggested.
The one he indicated stood directly across from the abandoned church.Purposely, the boys had left it to the last, so that their tour would endnear a bus stop.
Going up the winding walk, Dan and Brad rapped on the door. A man inshirt-sleeves, a newspaper in his hand, came to the door. The two boysrepeated their inquiries which by now had become a routine speech.
"I don't know where you can find an ice cream freezer," the man turnedthem down. He stared at the blue uniforms which the boys wore. "Say, youboys are Cub Scouts, aren't you?"
"Yes, we are," Dan replied proudly.
"Were you in the gang that was supposed to have ripped the churchbuilding apart?"
"We were not," Dan returned. "Our organization has been falsely accused.We're trying to prove we had nothing to do with it."
"Can't you?"
"It's not so easy. You see, a few of us visited the grounds before thereal damage was done. We accidentally smashed a window. After we left,the place was wrecked, and we were accused."
"It happened just after dark," the home owner said. "I know because Iheard windows being smashed. A half dozen kids, more or less, were in thegang, running wild over the place. I called police, but they got awaybefore the wagon arrived."
"Did you see any of the boys?" Brad asked eagerly.
"Only at a distance."
"You didn't see anyone in Cub uniforms?"
"I was too far away to tell. The boys mostly were large fellows. Too oldto be Cubs, I'd judge."
Brad and Dan asked the man for his name and address, intending to give itto Mr. Hatfield. If their case actually came to trial it might be that hecould be called to testify in behalf of the Cubs. His information,though, was meager.
After leaving the house, the two boys went across the street to peer atthe church building again. Since their last visit, all the windows hadbeen repaired.
"Not too much damage has been done." Brad said, gazing about. "Thosetrustees are just trying to build up a big case without much to go on."
Dan pressed his face against a basement window, peering down into thestorage room.
"Those freezers are still there," he announced. "I sure wish we couldborrow 'em for the party."
"Well, we can't," Brad returned. "I wouldn't ask those trustees for afavor, even if we never find a freezer."
"Here either," Dan agreed. "Say, I see our bus coming. Let's grab it."
During the next two days, the Cubs were kept very busy at school. Eachafternoon was spent in the gymnasium. On several occasions, they sawmembers of Pat's crowd watching from the windows. The boys never wouldcome inside, but plainly were studying the game and tactics of the Cubs.
"They're trying to study out our plays," Dan reported to his teammates."Well, let 'em. We'll beat them fair and square."
On Saturday morning, Mr. Hatfield took all Den members to Juvenile Courton the first visit scheduled in the "Know Your Neighborhood" series ofexcursions.
The boys watched a hearing in progress, listened to a little talk ontraffic safety, and then met a judge.
Later, they crossed a corridor to another cluster of offices. Mr.Hatfield explained that private hearings were conducted for boys andgirls who had committed misdemeanors. He led the Cubs into the office ofHarold Greene, court director.
"Boys, I want you to meet an old friend of mine," he introduced them.
The Cubs were grateful that the Juvenile Court official made no referencewhatsoever to the incident involving the old Christian Church. He knewabout it, they were certain, but purposely was being tactful.
Mr. Greene shook hands which each Cub in turn. When he came to Chub, henodded and smiled and said:
"Why, Chub, I'm glad to see you again. Getting along fine, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir," Chub mumbled nervously.
"You like the place where you are living now?"
"Y-yes, sir," Chub muttered again. He seemed very ill at ease and actedrelieved when Mr. Hatfield steered the boys on to another office.
The Cubs could not fail to note that Chub was well known to the Courtdirector. Was it possible, they speculated, that at some time he had beenbefore the court? Could that explain why Mr. Hatfield had warned them notto inquire into the boy's past?
The Cubs moved on to a public reception room where juveniles sat whileawaiting calls to the conference chambers. Glancing carelessly over thegroup of downcast boys slouched in the chairs, Dan received anothershock.
There in one of the chairs by the door, sat Pat Oswald! Seeing the Cubs,he quickly lowered his head into a magazine and pretended to read.