CHAPTER 13 Accusations
"So you've been stealing pheasants while I was away!" the workman accusedthe startled boys. "This time you won't get off with excuses! I'm turningyou over to the police on a delinquency charge!"
Saul Dobbs set the lighted lantern on the floor and moved toward Brad andDan. Before he could lay hands upon them, the barn door creaked behindthe foreman.
"What's going on here?" demanded a familiar voice.
Dobbs whirled around to see Mr. Silverton and Sam Hatfield standingdirectly behind him.
"I caught 'em this time, Mr. Silverton," the workman said in keensatisfaction. "When I found 'em here, they were stealing the pheasants."
"Idiot!" Mr. Silverton reprimanded him. "If it hadn't been for the Cubs,two thirds of my pheasants would have drowned. Where, may I ask, have youbeen?"
Dobbs lost some of his assurance. "Why, I drove into town for a fewminutes," he stammered. "The storm came up suddenly. As soon as I couldget back here--"
"It's taken you long enough," Mr. Silverton retorted. "Your job was tostay here. Where were you?"
"Why, I--that is--I had an appointment with a friend. It--it was justpersonal business."
"And while you were attending to your personal business, the pheasantruns were flooding. You knew that the creek was choked with logs anddebris?"
"Why--no."
"Then why didn't you?" Silverton pinned him down. "The Cubs discovered iton their first visit here. Unless the dam is dynamited, the water willkeep rising for hours."
"I'll see what can be done right away," Dobbs said, reaching for thelantern.
As he stooped, his gaze fell upon the shipping crate which Dan and Bradhad deposited on the floor only a few minutes before. His attentionfastened upon it only momentarily, and then deliberately he looked away.
However, both Brad and Dan had seen the glance, and it dawned upon themthat the foreman had knowledge of the crate having been left in thelean-to.
Despite the urgency of getting back to the creek to dynamite the log jam,Brad determined to bring up the matter then and there.
"Dan and I very easily can explain why we're here--" he began, only tohave Mr. Silverton interrupt.
"There's no need for you to explain to Dobbs, boys."
"But we feel you should know, sir," Dan broke in. "We brought two cockswhich we found across the creek in a shipping crate."
"In a shipping crate?" the owner of the pheasant farm repeated in apuzzled voice.
Dan explained how he and Brad had come upon the hidden path, and ofseeing the two strangers who had complained of being double-crossed whenthey failed to find the crated pheasants.
"Dobbs, what do you know of this matter?" his employer demanded severely.
"Why, not a thing." The foreman laughed nervously. "Not a thing. We builta little lean-to about a year ago where I sometimes keep a few tools.Haven't used it in months or been near there."
"You told me nothing of having built the shack, Dobbs. In fact, I findthere are many things you neglected to report. Who are the men who havebeen trespassing on my property?"
"I wouldn't know," Dobbs whined. "I've never seen anyone use the oldlogging road."
"No mention was made of anyone using it," Brad tripped him up. "However,that's how they have been coming here--down the road at night, crossingthe log bridge afoot and then apparently to the lean-to."
"That ain't so!" Dobbs denied, suddenly losing control of his temper."You're just saying it to make trouble for me. You want me to lose myjob! You're sore because I told Mr. Silverton about the Cubs trespassingon the restricted area."
"We're reporting exactly what we saw," Brad replied.
"Can you describe the two men?" Mr. Silverton asked, paying no attentionto Dobbs' accusation.
"One was heavy set and about middle age," Brad recalled. "The other wastaller. We couldn't see their faces plainly because it was so dark."
"They called each other Jake and Bernie," Dan contributed.
The names struck sparks in Mr. Silverton's mind.
"Not Bernie Bauer and Jake Freeze?" he demanded.
"We didn't hear the last names, sir," Dan returned regretfully.
"Nevertheless, your general description fits the pair," Mr. Silvertonsaid, turning again to the crestfallen foreman. "Friends of yours, aren'tthey, Dobbs?"
"I know Bernard Bauer and Jake Freeze slightly," Dobbs replied,considering his words carefully. "But believe me, Mr. Silverton, they'venever come here. At least not to my knowledge."
"I've suspected for a long while that someone was stealing some of mybest pheasants, Dobbs. In fact, we discussed it several times. But itremained for the Cubs to bring the proof I needed!"
"Proof! What proof have they dug up? How do we know they didn't make upthe whole story about finding those cocks in the lean-to?"
"I'll vouch for the honesty of Brad and Dan," said Mr. Hatfield, who hadlistened silently to the discussion. "For that matter, their findings donot surprise me. I've suspected for some time that trespassers were usingthe old logging road."
While the Cub leader spoke, Dan by the light of the lantern had beeninspecting the pheasant crate. Now he was ready to spring his mostimportant discovery.
"If you want proof that someone has been stealing pheasants, look atthis!" he exclaimed.
Attached to the shipping crate with a bit of wire was the torn half of anold tag, showing that it had been expressed to Malborne.
In the wavering light of the lantern, Mr. Hatfield and the owner of thepheasant farm inspected the writing.
"We found the other half of this shipping tag on the old logging roadseveral days ago," Dan told Mr. Silverton. "Apparently, the crate hasbeen used repeatedly."
Mr. Hatfield, who had kept the missing half of the tag, removed it fromhis billfold and gave it to Mr. Silverton.
"Obviously, pheasants have been shipped out for resale," the sportsmansaid. "This convinces me. And I rather think Freeze and Bauer are ourboys!"
"The Cubs have given you a twisted story," Dobbs whined. "I tell you Inever saw this pheasant crate before."
"Dobbs, you're lying!" Mr. Silverton accused him. "I've seen that cratemyself. Isn't it one we kept as an extra? I remember one of the slats wasbroken. You mended it--"
"And here is the repaired place," Dan pointed it out.
Thus tripped in his story, Dobbs began to stammer and make the excusethat he had failed to recognize the crate.
"I've had enough of your alibis," Mr. Silverton said angrily. "You'll dothe rest of your explaining to the police!"
"Don't turn me over to the authorities, Mr. Silverton," the man pleaded."I've worked for you two years--doing the best I could. I did makemistakes--I admit it, and the worst one was ever getting acquainted withthose two yellow dogs, Jake Freeze and Bernie Bauer."
"Now we're getting somewhere, Dobbs. So you admit you worked with them instealing my pheasants?"
"If I tell you the whole story, will you let me off?" Dobbs tried tobargain.
"We'll see," his employer returned coldly. "Unless you do tell me, I'llcall the police. I promise you that!"
Dobbs drew a deep breath and said sullenly: "Well, it was like this: Iknew Freeze and Bauer several years ago before I came to work for you.During the war I was employed by a man named Willis who had an estatenorth of here."
"I've heard of him," Silverton nodded.
"He had deer in his forest. Meat was scarce then, and it seemed a shamefor folks to go without, just for want of a few ration stamps."
"So you made a deal to supply deer to Freeze and Bauer?" Mr. Silvertondemanded, guessing at the story.
"That's about the size of it," Dobbs admitted. "Only they came to me withthe proposition. I never liked the business, so I pulled out and came toWebster City."
"Then you got mixed up in pheasant stealing?"
"Not intentionally. Believe me, Mr. Silverton, I've worked hard trying tokeep things ru
nning smoothly here."
"You receive a generous salary for your work, I believe?"
"Oh, I ain't complaining," Dobbs said uncomfortably. "You've been decentto me--mighty decent."
"How did you get mixed up with Freeze and Bauer again?"
"They learned I was working for you and followed me here. At first Iwouldn't listen to 'em, but they kept threatening if I didn't play along,they'd tip off to you about my previous black market activities. Then Iknew I'd lose my job."
"So you made a deal with them?"
"They forced me into it. I never got much out of it myself."
"How long has this stealing been going on, Dobbs?"
"Only since last fall. At first Freeze and Bauer didn't take manypheasants. Lately, they've pressured me into letting them have more andmore."
"The pheasants were shipped out of town for sale, just as the Cubsthought?"
"I don't know where they were sold," Dobbs said. "Freeze and Bauer nevertold me any of the details of their business, and I didn't ask. Mostlythey drove in here at night, using the old logging road."
"You let them know when the coast was clear, so to speak?"
"They made me do that. But believe me, Mr. Silverton, I never let 'emhave as many pheasants as they wanted."
"Very considerate of my interests," the sportsman said sarcastically."You knew about the log jam in the creek, of course."
"Freeze and Bauer put the logs in so they could cross the stream at thatpoint and reach the lean-to. I was afraid it might make trouble, but Ididn't look for the rains to be so heavy."
"You left the two pheasant cocks in the lean-to and then went away latethis afternoon? That was to give your friends a chance to come here whileyou were away?"
"They ain't friends of mine," Dobbs insisted. "I told you, they've beenmaking life mighty hard for me."
"Where do the two live?"
"At a little hotel on Brady Avenue in Webster City."
"I'll swear out a warrant for their arrest immediately," Mr. Silvertondeclared. "As for you, Dobbs--"
"Don't be too hard on me," the workman pleaded. "I told you the wholetruth. I never would have got mixed up in the dirty business only theykept after me. I'll be glad to see 'em behind bars."
"Will you testify against them?"
"I will if you'll let me off, Mr. Silverton. I swear it!"
"All right," the sportsman agreed, impatient to be finished with thediscussion. "I want no scandal, so I'll let you off. But understand this!You're through here--fired. Now get out! My secretary will send you yourfinal pay check."
"Thanks, Mr. Silverton," Dobbs mumbled, shuffling toward the door.
His heavy boots sloshed through a trickle of water which had seepedunnoticed into the barn.
"The creek's still rising!" he exclaimed, startled.
As Dobbs thrust open the barn door, more water trickled in.
Mr. Silverton seized the lantern from the floor. As he flashed itout-of-doors, he saw that the entire area near the house and barn wasflooded.
"It's coming up fast!" he exclaimed in dismay. "We've got to dynamite thelog jam right away or the water will keep rising!"
Dan Carter-- Cub Scout Page 13
