Dan Carter and the Haunted Castle Read online

  CHAPTER 2 The Chimney Niche

  Early Saturday afternoon found the Cub Scouts of both Den 1 and 2 hikingbriskly along a deserted road leading to "The Castle."

  Immediately after the previous week's Pack meeting at the Cave, Brad hadinquired as to the ownership of the property, learning that the WebsterCity Savings Bank held title.

  Further, he had been told that the mansion had been built twenty-twoyears earlier by Gorman Lubell, a millionaire who had lost his fortune inthe stock market.

  The unusual dwelling had been built of massive stone to resemble aminiature English castle. The interior never had been completelyfinished. Year after year, the Castle had stood deserted. Periodically,the bank cut the weeds and trimmed back the shrubbery, but of late eventhis duty had been neglected.

  "Brad, you obtained permission for us to visit the property, didn't you?"Mr. Hatfield asked as the boys trudged along.

  "The bank president was out of the city," the boy answered. "I talked tohis secretary though. She said she was sure it would be all right."

  "Even if we find the grounds unsuited as a locale for our play, we canget in some archery practice," Mr. Hatfield remarked.

  To make certain that equipment would be available, Mr. Holloway, one ofthe Den Dads, had driven on ahead to set up a target. He had borrowedseveral bows for the occasion, and Ross had brought his sets.

  "Ever do any shooting, Dan?" Brad asked his friend as they presentlyapproached the bank property.

  "A little, but it was more than a year ago. No chance I'll give Ross anycompetition for the Robin Hood role."

  "Oh, maybe you will," the older boy encouraged him. "You're good at mostgames requiring skill."

  "Ross has had more practice than any of the Cubs."

  "I know," Brad admitted. "He may win the role. I hope not."

  Ross, apparently sensing that he was being discussed, approached the twoboys. Brad and Dan immediately fell silent.

  "Plotting something?" Ross demanded suspiciously.

  "Of course not," Brad replied. Of all the Cubs in the Pack, Ross was theonly one who rubbed him the wrong way.

  "I heard you say something about Robin Hood," Ross declared. "I guess youfigure you'll nail the role for someone in Den 2."

  "Don't be stupid!" Brad exclaimed impatiently. "You heard Mr. Hatfieldsay the part will go to the best archer."

  "Who will be chosen through an elimination contest," Dan added.

  "I'll win too, if the competition is fair and square!"

  "Say, you give me a pain!" Brad exploded. "You know very well it will beon the level. Maybe you think you were cheated when Dan beat you in theswimming meet last summer?"

  Ross flushed and shifted the archery equipment to another hand. The lostswimming meet was a sore subject with him.

  Dan had defeated him soundly in a fair race. Ross remembered too thatafter the contest the younger boy had been kidnapped by a crook who hadpreviously tangled with the Cubs. This adventure has been recounted inthe volume entitled, "Dan Carter and the River Camp."

  As a result of his experience with water front thieves, Dan had gainedconsiderable attention in Webster City. Ross, who liked the limelight,had rather resented the younger boy's gain in popularity.

  Hence, he was more than ever determined that Dan should not win theleading role in the Robin Hood play.

  The Cubs presently arrived at the old Lubell property.

  "Mr. Holloway's here," Dan noted, observing the familiar car parked bythe roadside. "He's set up the target too."

  Beyond the clearing which the Den Dad had selected for an archery range,rose a heavily wooded area.

  "Just like Sherwood Forest in England!" Dan exclaimed. "Say, this placeshould be all right for our play!"

  "That castle has atmosphere too," Brad agreed, highly pleased.

  The building was a large, sprawling structure of many towers and turrets.A luxurious growth of vines covered the walls and blocked off some of thewindows.

  "They say that building has thousands of dollars' worth of importedmarble in it," Brad said, staring at the desolate dwelling. "It's just abig white elephant now. A pity it never was finished."

  "Mr. Lubell ran out of money?" Dan asked.

  "Yes, he lost every penny he owned and was on charity at the time of hisdeath. The bank never was able to find a buyer."

  "Unless the property gets some care pretty soon, it will fall intocomplete ruin," Dan remarked.

  His attention had been drawn to a smashed window pane. He noticed alsothat the foundation of the house had been damaged in several places.Walls remained in excellent condition however, and also the tallchimneys.

  "Say, I'll bet that place has some dandy fire places!" he commented.

  The other Cubs had gathered about and were eager to explore.

  "Maybe we can find a ghost," chuckled Red, gazing with keen interest atthe castle cupolas. "Let's see what the place looks like inside,fellows."

  "Well, I don't know," the Den Chief replied doubtfully. "I didn't sayanything at the bank about exploring the interior."

  "It's easy enough to get in," Red urged. "All one has to do is reachthrough one of those broken window panes and unlatch the catch. From thelook of this place, plenty of folks have been in there ahead of us."

  "The bank might not like it," Brad said, holding back.

  Before the Cubs could discuss the question further, Mr. Hatfield andBurton Holloway called them together.

  "I've been looking over the grounds," Midge's father declared. "Thisplace will make an almost perfect Robin Hood setting for our movie. Thecastle gives just the background touch needed, and will fit in with thestory."

  "A brook runs behind the castle too!" announced Fred, who had made abrief inspection tour. "The remains of a draw bridge still is there."

  "We can use it in the first scene of our play," Dan declaredenthusiastically. "The one where Robin Hood meets Little John on thenarrow bridge and neither will give way to the other. They fight withcudgels until, after hours of struggle, Robin Hood topples into thewater."

  "That ought to make a corking scene," approved Midge. He added darkly,"Especially if Ross is Robin Hood."

  "I don't see why Robin Hood should be the one to get a ducking," Rossprotested as he strung his bow ready for target practice. "Why not haveLittle John be the one to lose out?"

  "Because it wasn't that way," Dan told him. "Little John proved himself afine fighter and a good shot, so Robin Hood and his merry men allowed himto join the band."

  "Let's elect Ross the Sheriff of Nottingham," chuckled Chips, in jest.

  "Like fun!" Ross retorted. "Just bring on your target and I'll show you Ican hit the gold band every time."

  Eager to try their skill, the Cubs lined up ready to take instructionfrom Mr. Holloway. With the exception of Ross, Dan and Midge, the otherboys had never tried archery.

  "The first thing we learn is how to face the target," the Den Dadinstructed. "Look straight ahead and extend your left arm out to theside. Heels together. Relax!"

  "Kindergarten stuff," muttered Ross impatiently.

  Ignoring the boy, Mr. Holloway explained the fundamentals of the sport.He told the boys to draw the string with their first three fingers of theright hand, avoiding the use of thumb or little finger.

  "When you have the arrow on the string, sight over the arrow point," headvised. "Don't look up until you hear the arrow hit the target. If youdo, you will miss."

  Midge took his turn first. He drew the string back to his chin, closedhis left eye and let the arrow fly. Ping!

  It struck the target but on the lower rim. After his father had told himhow to correct his aim, Chips took the bow. On the first shot he hit hisleft arm with the bowstring, receiving a painful bruise.

  "Remember your fundamentals and that won't occur," Mr. Holloway said."Elbow bent, wrist straight, shoulder low, index finger under the jawboneand the string to the center of the chin."
/>   Dan's turn came next. His form was excellent despite lack of practice.Two of his arrows went in the gold and the other four in a group in thenext ring.

  "Not bad, Dan!" Mr. Holloway approved. "Let's see you beat that, Ross."

  Ross confidently took his place in front of the target. With easy gracehe sent an arrow winging on its way. It struck the bull's-eye, causingthe Cubs to cheer lustily.

  "See, didn't I tell you?" Ross demanded.

  He shot two more arrows. Both missed the target completely.

  "I'm a little out of practice," Ross muttered. Instead of shooting theremainder of his arrows, he handed the bow to a Cubmate from Den 1.

  For nearly an hour the boys practiced, some acquiring the art readily andothers finding it difficult to catch on to the trick of relaxing.

  "We'll definitely assign parts next time," Mr. Hatfield told the boys."Off hand, I think Fred will make a good Friar Tuck and Brad could actthe part of Little John."

  "Do I get to be Robin Hood?" Ross demanded.

  "That will be decided later," the Cub leader replied, a trifle annoyedthat the Den 1 boy should make such an issue of the role. "We'll need agood actor for the part."

  While some of the Cubs remained to practice archery and pose for camerashots, Dan, Brad, Midge and Ross set off to explore the castle.

  Long shadows extended from the forest to give the castle a shadowy, eerieappearance.

  "Gosh, the place does have a spooky look," Brad remarked, pulling at thevines which half-covered one of the lower windows.

  "Let's climb in," proposed Ross, gaining a foothold on one of the stoneblocks.

  "I don't think we should--" Dan began, but Ross cut him short.

  "Oh, the place is wide open. Why shouldn't we go in?"

  Reaching his hand through the broken window pane, he unlatched the catch.The leaded window swung back on creaking hinges.

  Ross climbed in and helped the others through.

  The Cubs found themselves in the central living room. One wall had beenpaneled but the others never had been finished. The main point ofinterest was a huge fireplace ornamented with imported tiles in an oldEnglish hunting scene design.

  Crossing to the hearth, Dan gazed curiously up the deep chimney.

  "Filled with old bird's nests," he reported.

  Dan ran a stick part way up the chimney, knocking down some of thedebris.

  "Hey! Quit it," Ross commanded. "You're stirring up an awful dust."

  Dan's stick had lodged between two loose bricks.

  To free it, he reached up and moved the bricks slightly. Much to hisastonishment, one of them pulled out.

  "This old chimney is falling apart," he said. "Either that or--"

  "Or what?" Brad demanded.

  Rather excited, Dan thrust his arm far up the chimney and groped about.

  "Find anything?" Brad demanded eagerly.

  "I'm not sure," Dan murmured, as his fingers continued to explore. "Yes,I think that brick was set loose on purpose. Sure as shooting, I can feela deep niche in the chimney--a hiding place!"