CHAPTER 9 A "Deserted" House
"Well, how do you like that?" Dan muttered as the Cubs gathered in agroup near the newly constructed house.
"Who was he, Brad?" Midge asked the Den Chief. "Not the contractor?"
"No, I never saw this fellow before--although his voice sounded sort offamiliar."
"Maybe he's one of the workmen," Red said uneasily. "After all, we are onprivate property."
"I had permission to come here for those discs," Brad insisted."Furthermore, I don't believe that fellow was a workman. He didn't talklike one."
"Or look like it either," added Chips. Of all the Cubs, he was the onlyone who had obtained a clear view of the man.
"You didn't know him, did you?" Dan inquired.
Chips shook his head. "Never set eyes on him before. You know what Ithink? He's a tramp!"
"Say, he did look like one!" Babe cried, although he had been too farback to catch more than a glimpse of the shadowy figure.
"And I bet a cookie he has no business being in this house!" Chips wenton excitedly. "The nerve of him ordering us away! Why, he may have brokenin and be living there!"
"Without the contractor or the owner knowing anything about it," agreedDan soberly. "Say, we ought to tell Mr. Hatfield about this."
At that moment, the Cub leader joined the group. He had been too far awayto see the stranger or to hear any of the conversation. However, from theexcited comment of the boys, he knew something was amiss.
"What goes on?" he asked, hurrying up.
Brad told him what had happened.
"I'm certain the man isn't a workman," he added. "We think he must be atramp who broke into the house and is camping there."
Mr. Hatfield noted a nearby sign which bore the name and telephone numberof the contractor who had built the dwellings.
"I'll telephone him as soon as we get back to Webster City," heannounced. "These houses are supposed to be boarded up. We have noauthority to order anyone away, so we'll just clear out."
The Cubs knew that their leader's advice was sound. However, theydisliked to be driven away from the premises.
"Gather up your discs, fellows, and let's move," Brad told the Cubs."It's getting late anyhow."
In the act of tying his plunder into a knapsack made from his sweater,Dan glanced toward the basement window of the new house.
"Look, Brad!" he commanded. "That guy's standing there watching us!"
"I don't like it," the older boy muttered. "Mr. Hatfield's right. This isno place for us."
"We ought to be a match for him."
"That's not the point," Brad argued. "For all we may know, he might be acriminal--armed. He looks like a tough customer."
"Face is sort of familiar too," Dan said thoughtfully. "Where have I seenhim before?"
"Nowhere that I recall."
"I've seen him some place," Dan insisted, "or at least he's someone thatreminds me of--I got it!"
"You've got what?" Brad demanded.
"I know where we saw that fellow!"
"We?"
"Sure! Don't you recall that night of the rain storm--on our way to thechurch?"
"The stranger who asked us what was going on there!"
"That's the guy!"
Brad glanced quickly toward the window. The man however, had stepped backbeyond view.
"He reminds me a little of that fellow, Dan," the Den Chief saidthoughtfully. "All the same, I wouldn't say it's the same person."
"Well, they look alike," Dan insisted. "I didn't care much for thefellow's appearance when we met him in the rain."
"Coming boys?" called Mr. Hatfield.
Dismissing the stranger from their minds, Brad and Dan hastened to catchup with the other Cubs.
As they hiked toward the main road, Mr. Hatfield mentioned again that hewould call the contractor as soon as he arrived at home.
"I want to tell him that we picked up the roofing discs," he said. "I'msure it's all right, but we'll double check. Then I'll tell him aboutthat tramp in the house."
"He could do considerable damage," Red remarked. "Why, he might evenstart a fire that would destroy the house."
"Say! We haven't forgotten about exploring the haunted house, have we?"Chips suddenly demanded.
From the main road a weed-choked, narrow lane led toward the unpaintedhouse which stood on a curving rise of land. Shutters hung at rakishangles and the place had every appearance of being deserted.
"Do we have time?" Mr. Hatfield asked, looking at his watch.
"Oh, it won't take more than a minute!" Chips insisted.
"Sometimes your minutes are pretty long, Chips," the Cub leader laughed.
The other boys also were eager to inspect the old house, so finally Mr.Hatfield consented.
"This would be a spooky place at night," Midge declared as they startedup the lane. "I'd hate to live so near the marsh. Imagine building newhouses out here."
"Land is cheap in this area," Mr. Hatfield explained. "Then, Webster Cityis growing to the south. In a few years, this section may be built upsolidly."
The land near the old house was ragged with frosted stubble growth. Somedistance away ran a tiny creek, screened by reeds and rushes.
"Must be good hunting and fishing around here," Brad remarked.
Walking over broken, uneven ground the Cubs approached the dilapidatedhouse. Its windows, streaked with dirt from the recent rain, seem tostare at them.
"Wonder how long this place has been deserted?" Dan speculated.
"Not long, that's certain," replied Mr. Hatfield, glancing about theuntidy yard. "In fact, I wonder--"
"Oh, look at the old fashioned iron kettle!" Chips broke in withoutgiving the Cub leader an opportunity to complete his remark. "And the oldwell that turns on a crank."
"It's not the well that turns on a crank, bright boy!" Red laughed.
"Well, you know what I mean," Chips growled. "That's how the bucket islifted. Let's have a drink."
"Better not," advised Mr. Hatfield. "This water may be safe enough, butwe have no way of being sure."
The Cubs raised and lowered the well bucket several times, but did notdrink. Dan went over to look at the big iron kettle which in days pastevidently had been used for the boiling of apple sauce or maple sirup.
To his surprise, he noted that the ashes beneath the blackened containerwere faintly warm.
"Say, maybe this place isn't deserted after all!" he exclaimed in alarm."Someone's been using this kettle recently."
Babe Bunning, unmindful of Dan's discovery, had pulled a box to aposition beneath the kitchen window.
Flattening his nose against the pane, he peered inside.
"And someone's been using this house!" the boy entoned. "In fact, she'sright here NOW!"