Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face Read online

  Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Charlie Howard and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  A grotesque carved face loomed on the wall. (_See Page 31_)"Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face"

  DAN CARTER _and the Great Carved Face_

  _by Mildred A. Wirt_

  _ILLUSTRATED_

  CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY _Publishers_ _New York_

  Copyright, 1952, by CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  _Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face_

  Printed in the United States of America

  CONTENTS

  _Chapter_ _Page_ 1. A Missing Cub 1 2. The Face on the Cliff 12 3. Red Proves His Point 22 4. Suspicion 33 5. Strange Indians 45 6. Another Loss 54 7. A "Brush-off" 67 8. Dan's Sand Painting 74 9. A Lost Paddle 83 10. An Underground Stream 93 11. Friend or Foe? 104 12. Exploring the Cave 114 13. More Trouble 126 14. Red's Slip of Tongue 135 15. The Man in the Cave 148 16. Danger 158 17. Red's Mistake 168 18. The Pow-wow 177 19. Three Points 188 20. The Turquoise Toad 204

  _Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face_

  CHAPTER I A MISSING CUB

  Firelight splashed the eager faces of six Cub Scouts, who squatted Indianfashion around the glowing log.

  Sam Hatfield, cubmaster of Den 2 at Webster City, raised his hand incheery greeting.

  "How!"

  "How!" responded the Cubs. Expectantly, they waited for their chief tospeak.

  On this particular night, the den meeting was being held on a river slopedirectly behind the home of Burton Holloway, one of the Den Dads.

  As all the Cubs knew, the session was no ordinary week-end ceremonial.For Mr. Hatfield had promised that an important announcement would beforthcoming.

  "Everyone here?" The cubmaster's gaze roved from one Cub to another as hestarted to call the roll. "Brad Wilber!"

  "Present," drawled the Den Chief.

  Brad was nearly 14, a Boy Scout and an acknowledged leader among theyounger Cubs. Mr. Hatfield depended a great deal upon the dark-haired,serious youngster, having found him to be even-tempered and quick of wit.

  "Dan Carter!" the cubmaster resumed the roll call.

  "Here," answered Dan with a friendly grin. He was a sandy-haired boy,clever in school and a fine athlete. All the Cubs liked him.

  Next Mr. Hatfield called the name of his own son, Fred, who replied witha loud "How! Me heap big Injun!"

  The roll call also included Mack Tibbets, Chips Davis and Midge Holloway,a son of the Den Dad. But when Red Suell's name was spoken, he did notrespond.

  "Where's Red?" Mr. Hatfield inquired. In the flickering firelight hecould not see the boys' faces distinctly. "Not here yet?"

  "Late again," drawled Chips. "You know Red. He never can make a meetingon time."

  "I thought he'd be here tonight," said Brad. "He had something special onhis mind. Fact is, I'm a little bothered about it--"

  "Someone's coming down the hill now," cut in Dan. He directed attentiontoward a shadowy, hurrying figure.

  A moment later, Red, who had acquired the nickname because of his fieryhair, breathlessly joined the group. He carried a bulky object concealedin a large paper bag.

  "Time you're getting here!" Chips scolded him. "What you got in thatsack?"

  "Oh, nothing." Red grinned mysteriously.

  Carefully holding together the top edges of the bag so that none of theCubs could see what it held, he took his place in the circle.

  Mr. Hatfield stirred the log with a stick, sending up a shower of sparks.

  "I'm about to spin a few Indian stories," he remarked. "But first, nowthat we're all here, I'll tell you about next month's den project. Everhear of the Navajos?"

  "Sure!" chirped Chips, proud of his knowledge. "Blankets! We've got someat home."

  The other Cubs hooted in derision.

  "The Navajos are Indians," corrected Dan. "They live on a large NewMexico reservation."

  "That's right," agreed Mr. Hatfield. "The Navajos are very skillful atweaving blankets and making silver ornaments, so Chips wasn't too faroff."

  "What do the Navajos have to do with our project?" asked Mack Tibbetscuriously.

  "A lot, I hope. I thought we might adopt a Navajo Pack."

  "Do the Navajos have Cub Scout organizations?" demanded Red. In hissurprise, he nearly dropped the paper bag which he had kept so carefullytucked under his arm.

  "Why should we adopt an Indian Pack?" questioned Midge Holloway.

  "Because the Navajo youngsters need our help," Mr. Hatfield explained."The government has aided the Indians by setting up schools and providingmany necessities. But while some of the Navajos are well off, others arevery poor, depending almost entirely upon sheep raising for a living.Their dwellings are _hogans_ or houses built of sticks, rock and mud. Fewhave adequate clothing or shoes."

  "What do the Navajo Cubs need?" asked Brad.

  "All sorts of things. Books, uniforms, craft articles and especiallymoney."

  Mr. Hatfield went on to say that if the Cubs decided to adopt a NavajoPack, cash might be raised by various projects, including an Indianpow-wow.

  "Say, that sounds swell to me!" approved Dan instantly. "I'm for it!"

  "Me too," chimed in Midge Holloway.

  All the other Cubs likewise voted in favor of the project.

  The matter decided, Mr. Hatfield related several Indian stories. As thefire burned lower, the boys huddled close together, for a chill had comeupon the summer night.

  Unintentionally, Dan brushed against Red's mysterious paper bag. He couldtell by the feel that it held something soft and warm.

  "What are you hiding, Red?" he demanded. "You keep clutching that sack asif you're hanging onto a live rabbit. What's in it?"

  "A bear maybe," grinned Red. "Wait and see!"

  Remarking upon the darkness of the woods, he stared fixedly toward thetall pine trees. His intensity began to make the other Cubs feel a trifleuneasy.

  "What's wrong with you anyhow, Red?" Dan asked, losing impatience.

  "Nothing," Red returned innocently. "Gosh, but it's getting dark! Do you'spose any wild animals are out there in the woods watching our fire diedown?"

  "Probably a mountain lion, six wolves and a couple of bears," Danretorted. "All waiting to attack! Don't try to stir our imaginations,Re
d."

  "Who me?" Red demanded indignantly.

  He subsided into silence. However, a few minutes later, Dan heard himurge Mr. Hatfield to "tell a good scarey bear or wolf story."

  "It's getting rather late," the cubmaster rejoined. "Our wood is nearlygone."

  "I'll get some more," Red offered eagerly.

  Before anyone could stop him, he darted off into the woods.

  Instead of telling an animal story, Mr. Hatfield explained the origin ofthe Navajo fire dance, or mountain chant.

  This spectacular Indian dance, he related, was performed by the bravesfour or five times a year, usually late in fall.

  "The Navajos believe that bears and snakes are evil spirits," thecubmaster remarked. "If a Navajo kills a bear, he fears that the animal'sspirit may enter his own body. So to free such an evil spirit from thebody, the Indian braves take part in the fire dance ceremony which oftenlasts five days."

  Dan paid only scant attention as Mr. Hatfield described the colorfuldance. He kept watching the fringe of woods for a glimpse of Red. Surely,the boy had been gone long enough to return with an armful of firewood!

  "What's become of him?" he whispered to Brad who sat on his left in thecircle.

  "Oh, he'll be along soon enough," Brad shrugged. "Relax."

  Mr. Hatfield finished his description of the fire dance. Mr. Hollowaythen told the Cubs of plans which included the building of a Navajotrading post, a _hogan_ and perhaps the making of a sand painting.

  "We'll practice canoeing too," he added. "Fact is, we're hoping toschedule a canoe race with Den 1 at the end of the season."

  "We'll beat 'em too!" Midge announced proudly. "Dan and Brad are handywith a paddle."

  "So is Ross Langdon of Den 1," Dan reminded him. "Don't count ourtrophies until we win 'em."

  "Also, keep in mind that winning isn't nearly as important as good,friendly competition and fun," Mr. Hatfield added. "Now, shall we closethe meeting by the Cub Promise?"

  Quickly the boys formed in a circle about the dying embers of the fire.In unison they recited:

  "I promise To do my best To do my duty to God and my country, To be square, and to obey the law of the Pack."

  As the meeting broke up, Mr. Hatfield doused water on the live coals.

  "What became of Red?" he asked. "He left camp twenty minutes ago for morewood. He must have gone to the house."

  "Probably to get a head start at the refreshments," chimed in Chips."That's Red!"

  "I'll see if he's there," Dan offered quickly. "I saw him disappear intothe trees, but he may have circled around."

  A light glowed from the kitchen windows of the Holloway house on thehill.

  The dwelling stood at the extreme edge of the metropolitan park area inthe section which included many acres of wild, almost virgin timber. Onmany occasions the Cubs had been allowed to use the Holloway cabin whichfronted the river. Often too, they explored the marked trails, usuallyaccompanied by either Mr. Holloway or the cubmaster.

  Climbing the gravel path, Dan peered in at the open kitchen door. In theglare of the electric light he could see Mrs. Holloway setting a longtable with paper plates and napkins. Fragrant chocolate simmered on thestove.

  "Oh, hello, Dan," Mrs. Holloway greeted him cordially. "You're the firstCub to come looking for food."

  "Then Red hasn't been here?"

  "Why, no, not yet."

  "We're looking for him," Dan explained. "Guess he must be somewhereelse." Without telling more, he ran back to the river front to report toMr. Hatfield.

  Both Mr. Hatfield and Midge's father were troubled to learn that Red hadnot been found at the house. Anxiously, they gazed toward the dark woods.

  "Maybe he's lost in there," Dan said, reading their thought. "I saw himstart off that way."

  Mr. Hatfield reached for a powerful flashlight which he always kept readyfor use. "I thought Red had more sense than to go beyond view of the campfire," he commented. "He can't be very far away though."

  "Let's call to him," proposed Mr. Holloway. "If he's anywhere near, he'llhear us."

  The two men shouted Red's name repeatedly. No answering cry came from thedarkness. However, the other Cubs gathered about, alarmed by thedisappearance of their den mate.

  "It's really my fault," Brad said, addressing the two men. "I shouldn'thave let him do it."

  "Do what, Brad?" questioned Mr. Hatfield. "What are you talking about."

  "The truth is, Red planned to play a little joke on the Cubs."

  "A joke? What kind of joke, Brad?"

  "It was connected with that paper sack he had with him. He brought a bearskin rug from home. Red figured he'd slip away from camp, put it on, andthen sneak back to scare the Cubs. You know--pretend to be a real bear."

  "Red should have known better than to try such a kid trick!"

  "It was my fault," Brad said, taking the blame. "I should have set myfoot down hard when he told me his plan. He was so hepped up about it, Ilet him go ahead."

  "But why didn't he come back as he planned?"

  "That's what has me bothered," Brad admitted anxiously. "He intended tomake a few scratching sounds in the trees and show himself about the timethe story telling reached a climax."

  "Red is such a youngster," Mr. Holloway murmured. "He never did have muchsense of direction--"

  "Right now, he may be wandering around in the woods, hopelessly lost,"added Mr. Hatfield grimly. "We must find him quickly, or it may turn intoan all-night job!"