CHAPTER 7 A BRUSH-OFF
Professor Sarazen had very little to say when Dan gave him thedisheartening information about the Navajo blanket. His kindly silence,however, made the Cubs feel all the worse about the loss.
"It wasn't your fault," the professor said quietly.
"But it was!" Dan insisted. "When we borrowed the blanket, it wasunderstood that we'd take good care of it. We never dreamed anyone wouldrun off with it in broad daylight."
"It may show up later," Professor Sarazen said to encourage him. "I hopeso."
Well aware that the Cubs felt very badly, he did not add that the blanketwas one of the most valuable in his collection.
While Dan talked with Professor Sarazen, Mr. Hatfield and Brad againsearched the hogan where the blanket had been left.
"Hello! Something else is gone!" the Cub leader exclaimed, his gazeroving swiftly about the interior of the hut. "I stored a box of tinnedfood here, ready for a cook-out later this week. 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 carefulabout leaving anything of value lying around, even during the daytime.Warn the Cubs."
"I will, Mr. Hatfield."
In inspecting the inside of the hut, the Cub leader's eye picked upseveral moccasin prints not far from the doorway. He stooped to examinethem.
"Ha! Here's something!" he exclaimed.
"Moccasin prints!" agreed Brad. "Say, do you suppose those twoIndians--White Nose and Eagle Feather could have been sneaking aroundhere?"
"It's a possibility, Brad."
"They didn't wear moccasins though," the Den Chief recalled. "I noticedthat they wore cowboy type boots."
"These prints definitely were made by an Indian moccasin. No use sayinganything about it to the other Cubs, Brad. It might make them uneasy.Just keep your eyes open, and be careful about leaving things unguarded."
"I sure will, Mr. Hatfield."
As the Cubs left the camp to return home for supper, Dan was in a verydark mood. Not only was he discouraged over the loss of the Navajoblanket, but he wondered how the sand painting ever could be properlycompleted.
"That's right," Brad sympathized with him. "You were using the design onthe blanket for the sand painting, weren't you? That is tough."
"I made a rough sketch of it. But it's not a very good job. The design isso complicated, I doubt the Cubs can follow it."
"Can't you take an easier design?"
"Yes, but we have the center all done. I guess it's better to go on, butit's going to be hard."
"We ought to get that blanket back somehow, Dan. Professor Sarazen didn'tsay so, but I have a hunch it's worth a lot of money."
"Losing it has taken all the fun out of planning for the pow-wow. Anyidea what became of it, Brad?"
"An idea maybe. But nothing we can act on."
The two Cubs had reached Morton and White St., where they must separateto go to their individual homes. They paused in front of Grisby's GroceryStore to say goodbye.
Standing there, Dan chanced to glance through the big plateglass windowwhere an array of fruit had been temptingly displayed.
It was not the fruit, however, which held his attention. Instead, hisgaze fastened upon two men inside the store. They stood at the counter,making purchases from Mr. Grisby, the owner.
"Our friends!" Dan exclaimed. "Looks as if they're buying camp stuff. Atleast they're getting enough to last 'em awhile."
Brad turned to stare through the big grocery store window.
"White Nose and Eagle Feather!" he exclaimed.
"Let's go in and talk to them," Dan suggested impulsively.
"I'd like to--very much," Brad said, thinking of the missing Navajoblanket. "I'd like to ask them some questions. It might not be wisethough."
"I know what you mean, Brad. The same suspicion is in my mind."
"We don't dare accuse them of anything, Dan. We have no proof."
"Oh, I realize that. But at least we can talk to 'em. We might learnsomething."
"What'll we say?"
"We could make the excuse of inviting them to our next Cub Scoutmeeting."
"Not a bad idea," Brad instantly approved. "White Nose and Eagle Feathercould tell the Cubs about Indian customs. Let's do it!"
Their minds made up, the two boys entered the grocery store.
The Indians had their backs turned and did not appear to notice Brad andDan.
Eagle Feather was completing a grocery purchase. He had bought bacon,flour, matches and items one might need if embarking on an extensivecamping trip.
Now that they were in the store, Brad and Dan hesitated to speak to thetwo Indians.
The Cubs were not actually afraid of the strangers, but their appearanceseemed less friendly than at the meeting by the cliff. Eagle Feather andWhite Nose were grimly intent upon their purchases.
"Go ahead," Dan urged Brad in a whisper, giving him a nudge. "Ask 'em."
Brad moved closer to the counter. Both Indians now saw the boys, butstared at them without friendly recognition.
For an instant the boys were taken aback, wondering if they had made amistake.
But a second glance reassured them that the Indians were the same pairthey had met at the cliff.
"Good afternoon," Brad began politely.
"_Yah eh tah_!" responded Eagle Feather.
Taken aback, because he knew that both Indians spoke English almostperfectly, Brad momentarily was at a loss for words.
"You remember us," Dan said, coming to the rescue. "We're the Cub Scoutsyou met at the cliff. We want you to come to one of our meetings and talkto the boys about Indian customs. Will you?"
The two Indians stared stoically, as if they had not understood a singleword of the request.
It was Dan's turn to become confused. He could not comprehend theIndians' strange behavior. Why were they turning on the "freeze,"pretending that they never had seen the pair before?
White Nose deliberately turned his back to Brad and Dan. He directedhimself to the storekeeper.
"_Doh quih?_" he demanded.
Then as the storekeeper failed to catch the meaning, he grudginglyinterpreted in English, "How much?"
"Eight dollars and twenty-three cents."
White Nose paid the amount, receiving change for a ten-dollar bill. Hepocketed the money and picked up the box of groceries. The pair left thestore without a second glance at the two Cubs.
"Well, was that a brush-off?" Dan demanded indignantly.
"They knew us all right! For some reason they pretended otherwise."
"Maybe they stole the Navajo blanket, and were afraid we'd jump them forit, Brad!"
"Exactly what I was thinking," Brad agreed soberly. "Looks as if they'replanning on camping out somewhere in the woods, judging from all thesupplies they bought. If they're going to stay anywhere near our riverplace, then it behooves us to keep watch!"