CHAPTER 18 THE POW-WOW
Mr. Hatfield stood in the doorway of the hogan, staring past the Hollowayhome on the hill toward the main road.
"It's not like Brad and Dan to be late," he remarked to Mr. Holloway. "Ican't guess what's keeping them."
"Red's not here either," the Den Dad returned looking worried. "The boyswere here early--we know that, because a sack of food was left on ourporch. But what's become of 'em?"
The sun had risen high and the hour set for the start of the Pack pow-wownow approached. All the Cubs shared Mr. Hatfield's uneasiness. WithoutDan and Brad, particularly the latter, it would be most difficult tocarry on the planned ceremonies and competitions.
Already the Den 1 boys were starting to arrive for the big meet, many ofthem with their parents.
"I've telephoned to their homes," Mr. Holloway added. "All three boysleft early, presumably for here. We know they arrived, only to vanish."
"Brad and Dan wouldn't have wandered off without good reason," Mr.Hatfield declared. "I'm sure they'll be along any minute."
Outwardly showing no uneasiness, the two Cub leaders went ahead withlast-minute preparations for the pow-wow. As the hour grew later, moreand more parents appeared upon the scene.
Fred, Chips, Mack and Midge were on hand, all four togged out in Indiancostumes they had made themselves.
"We can delay the start a little while longer by taking the parents tothe ravine to see the big carved face," Mr. Hatfield said. "By the timeeveryone gets back, the boys surely will be here."
Mr. Holloway guided the assembled parents to the cliff. Deliberately, hemade the trip a slow one. But when the group finally returned to camp,Red, Dan and Brad had not put in an appearance.
"It's no use waiting any longer," Mr. Holloway decided. "We'll have to goahead without them. Frankly, I'm worried. Something serious must havecome up, or they'd be here."
The ceremony began with the Cubs from both dens parading in a circle,about the camp fire.
Mr. Hatfield as Akela then emerged from the hogan.
Solemnly, he raised his hand in greeting.
"How!"
"How!" responded all the Cub Scout Indians.
"You my Indian brothers are the true first Americans," Mr. Hatfieldrecited.
"How!" again answered the Cubs.
"Do you promise to continue to do your best to do your duty to God andyour country?"
"HOW!" the Cubs shouted, howling so loud that the cry reechoed throughthe forest.
Mr. Hatfield directed the boys to seat themselves about the camp fire.
Mr. Holloway, who had a deep base voice, then led the assembly in singing"Home on the Range," repeating it twice in the hope of gaining more time.
Next came the branding ceremony, or the induction of new families intothe Pack. All regular Cubs were recognized as such by branding them as"old hands." Boys who had qualified for advancement in rank next cameforward to receive certificates and badges.
Though Mr. Hatfield and Mr. Holloway ran off the ceremonies as slowly aspossible, all too soon it came time for the competitive events.
"Without Dan and Brad, we haven't a chance to win," Midge remarked toChips. "It makes me sick! After all the work we've done. Then to lose outto Den 1!"
"We haven't lost yet."
"No, but we will. You know that. Look at Ross Langdon! He's struttingaround like a peacock. Figures Den 1 already has won the silver plaque."
Deep gloom had settled upon all the Den 2 Cubs. Their uneasiness wasshared not only by Mr. Hatfield and Mr. Holloway, but by parents of thethree missing boys. Repeatedly, the grown-ups whispered together,apparently uncertain whether to continue the pow-wow or to halt it andorganize a search for Brad, Dan and Red.
It was Dan's mother who decided the matter.
"The pow-wow must go on as planned," she declared. "My son wouldn't havedisappeared without good reason. I'm confident he'll get word to us asquickly as he can. Meanwhile, he'd want the affair to continue exactly asplanned."
Judging of the various handicraft items next began. Above all else, themagnificent sand painting for which Dan had been responsible, drewfavorable comment.
Unquestionably, it would have won top honors. However, Mr. Hatfieldexplained that only the planning work had been Dan's and that thereforethe den could not fairly claim the exhibit for points.
Judges awarded Den 1 ten points for a carved tom-tom, eight for anelaborate Indian head-dress, and three for a skillfully painted paddle.Excellent examples of Indian weaving brought an additional five points.
"That's a total of 26 already," Fred muttered in alarm. "We'll bewhitewashed!"
"We'll pick up," Midge insisted, with a confidence he did not feel.
Judges now were grading the Den 2 exhibits. With the sand paintingeliminated from the entries, the Cubs of Den 2 could not expect to attainas many points as their competitors. Their only hope of winning thepow-wow rested in the athletic competition.
Chips was highly elated to win ten points for the paddle he haddecorated. Fred added five points for having the best Indian costume.Brad, though not present, was awarded eight points for a cleverly madebracelet.
"Twenty-three points to Den 1's twenty-six," Mack added them up. "We'rebehind, but it could be worse."
The first athletic event was called a "Medicine Man's Rassle with theEvil Spirits."
Mr. Hatfield produced a three-foot length of broomstick. The Den 1 boysstood on one side, grasping the stick with both hands. On the otheropposing side were Mack, Fred, Midge and Chips.
Though Den 1 to show its sportsmanship, limited their competitors to thesame number of boys, they were able to select their strongest Cubs. Den 2had no such choice.
Without Brad and Dan, they were greatly handicapped.
At the signal from Mr. Hatfield, each side tried to touch an end of thestick to the floor. Den 1 succeeded almost at once, achieving another tenpoints.
"Thirty-six to twenty-three!" Ross Langdon rubbed it in. "Why, this isn'teven a competition."
"Quiet, you!" Midge growled. "It could be different if all our Cubs werehere."
"So you're already cooking up an alibi?" Ross gloated. "Poor losers!"
"That's not so!" Midge retorted furiously. "You're welcome to the silverplaque if you can win it. We've beaten you enough times before."
"Brad and Dan didn't show today because they're afraid of being licked inthe canoe race," Ross went on.
"You know that's not true."
"Then why didn't they come?"
"I don't know," Midge admitted. "They may be here yet."
"They'd better hurry then. The pow-wow's nearly over."
The next scheduled event was an Indian dance. The Den 1 group offered arather uninspired number, characterized by a noisy beating of tom-toms.
By contrast, Den 2 had planned an elaborate version of the Navajo firedance, using flashlights instead of torches. Brad was to have led thisnumber.
"Fred, you'll have to act as leader," Mr. Hatfield told his son. "Thinkyou can do it?"
"I'll sure try," Fred promised grimly.
The four Den 2 Cubs threw themselves into the dance whole-heartedly. Sospirited was their performance that all the parents applauded vigorously.
After a brief conference, judges announced that Den 2 had captured theevent, winning back the ten points they had lost.
"Thirty-six to thirty-three!" Chips chortled, taking heart. "Say, westill have a chance to win this old pow-wow!"
"Only one more event remains," Mack pointed out. "That's the canoe race."
"Then we're sunk," Mack groaned. "Without Brad and Dan, we may as wellgive up without even entering the event."
"A Cub doesn't quit," Midge said severely.
"Who can we put in besides you?" Mack demanded. "You're pretty fair, butthere's no one else to back you up. Chips, Fred or me--we're not in theclass of Dan or Brad."
Mr. Hatfield and Mr. Holloway held
a brief conference concerning thefinal event on the program. They too were fully aware that without Brador Dan, the competition could not be won.
"Even if we do trail miserably, we'll enter the event," Mr. Hatfielddecided. "We can't have Den 1 saying we're poor sports."
"Midge is our best bet. He's very nearly as good as Dan."
"But not the equal of Brad," Mr. Hatfield said ruefully. "And we have noone else. Neither Mack or Chips is strong and they're only fair swimmers.Fred can swim well enough, but he hasn't practiced paddling enough todevelop much skill."
"We have no choice," the Den Dad replied. "It will have to be Fred."
A short course had been marked on the river with buoys. In this, Mr.Hatfield and Mr. Holloway had taken no part, leaving the matter entirelyto Den 1 leaders.
The two canoes were carried down to the beach, ready for launching.
"Now remember, boys, this is a friendly competition," Mr. Hatfieldwarned. "No straining to win. Just take it in your stride."
Fred selected a paddle, his heart thumping. The Den 2 boys were beingvery decent. Both Midge and Mack had assured him that it didn't matterwhether or not the race was lost. But he knew better!
Den 2, especially Dan and Brad, had worked like beavers in the hope ofwinning the silver plaque.
Now, despite very bad luck, the score stood 33 to 36!
According to the rules, ten points would be awarded the two-man teamwhich won the canoe race. None were to be given for second place.
So, as it stacked up, the silver plaque and Den 2's honor depended uponwinning the competition.
But no one knew better than Fred how hopeless was the prospect. RossLangdon and another powerfully built Cub, Donald Fall, were to representDen 1.
The boy watched them as they warmed up a bit, dipping their paddles inperfect unison.
He and Midge could not hope to coordinate their movements, for they neverhad practiced together. Always it had been taken for granted that if forany reason Dan could not compete, the team would be comprised of Midgeand Brad.
"Don't look so worried, son," Mr. Hatfield said, slapping him on theshoulders. "This race is only for fun, you know. Win or lose, just doyour best."
"Sure," Fred agreed with a grin. He gripped the paddle so tightly thatthe knuckles of his hands showed white.
"If Ross and Donald take the lead, don't let it worry you," Mr. Hatfieldadded. "Just stroke at your own speed."
"Which will be plenty slow," Fred replied. "Den 1 already is starting tocelebrate victory."
It was true that several of the Den 1 Cubs were capering about on thebeach, laughing and acting as if the plaque already were theirs.
In the stern of the Den 1 canoe, Ross flashed a confident, almostarrogant smile.
"What we waiting for?" he demanded. "Let's go!"
Sick at heart, Midge and Fred took their own places in the Den 2 canoe.Both crafts prepared to line up at the starting point for the race.
Paddle poised, Midge chanced to raise his eyes to gaze toward the forest.He stiffened into alert attention. Dare he trust his own vision?
Midge brushed a hand across his eyes and looked again. No mistake. Fromamid the trees emerged two disheveled figures. Red and Brad!
"Wait!" shouted Midge, letting his paddle clatter into the bottom of thecanoe. "Hold everything! They're here at last!"