Part 7 (1/2)
proposed Dan. ”If he's the right sort, he'll accept our apology and not hold it against anyone.”
”How does that sound to you?” Mr. Holloway asked the two offenders.
”Suits me,” agreed Chips, while Red nodded morosely.
”I'll have to talk this over with Mr. Hatfield and the other Cubs,” said the Den Dad. ”But the idea sounds good to me.”
”It will mean a trip to Mr. Silverton's office,” said Brad. ”Probably it's too late to see him today.”
”Tomorrow will have to do,” said Mr. Holloway. ”Well, we have no right here. Let's get back where we belong.”
Returning to the Cubs who waited by the creek, the Den Dad explained briefly what had happened.
”Chips and Red are willing to apologize to Mr. Silverton tomorrow,” he said. ”I hope that will square matters. Brad, I think it might be well for you and Dan to go along, since you've already met Mr. Silverton.”
”I'll be glad to, sir,” said Brad, while Dan nodded.
Aware that Chips and Red already were worried by their mistake, the Cubs did not plague them with questions or accusations. But everyone felt depressed by the outcome of the little excursion.
”By the way,” said Mr. Holloway, as the group left the creek, ”someone should mention this log jam to Mr. Silverton tomorrow. It worries me. I figure he can't know about it, or he'd have ordered it cleared away.”
”I'll be glad to speak of it,” offered Dan.
He fell into step with Chips and Red, who for a long while walked in gloomy silence.
”I don't see why Silverton's so fussy about the Cubs going into that restricted section anyhow,” Chips grumbled.
”Guess he's afraid his special breed of Germain peac.o.c.k pheasants will be disturbed,” Dan said easily.
”Sure, that's what he told you. But why keep the Cubs out when he lets others go there?”
”What do you mean-others?”
”Well, when Red and I were picking up those feathers we heard voices back of us in the woods-men's voices.”
”That's right,” Red agreed. ”Someone must have driven up in a car on the old logging road, because we thought we could hear an engine running on the other side of the creek.”
”You must have good ears,” Dan said. ”We didn't hear any car. Or any voices either.”
Mr. Hatfield, who had been walking ahead, had overheard Red's remark.
Dropping back, he fell into step with the Cubs, listening rather attentively. Being a native, he knew that section very well.
”That old logging road hasn't been used in years and has been allowed to grow up in weeds,” he said, thinking aloud. ”I was told the sportsman fenced it off where it crosses the main highway. When the pavement went in three years ago, it nipped off the terminal of the logging road.”
”Maybe Dobbs or some of the workmen drove a car back in there,” Dan remarked.
”It wasn't Dobbs,” Red insisted. ”He has a gruff, husky voice. There were two men. One spoke in a high, almost squeaky voice, and the other was just a mumble.”
”Did you see the men or hear what they were saying?” Mr. Hatfield asked Red.
”No, we didn't pay too much attention. Anyway, they were off quite a distance. But if Silverton lets others go into that section, I don't see why he hangs barbed wire around us!”
”That has nothing to do with it,” Mr. Hatfield replied. ”We gave our promise to stay away from the restricted area, and we broke it.”