“That snoop!” Red snorted. “He came here to spy and for no other reason. I don’t believe half what he said.”
“It’s probably true Den 1 is ahead of us, but that doesn’t mean it will be that way in another week,” Dan declared. “They started in before we did, so naturally we’re behind.”
Red, who a few minutes before, had been very proud of the Indian design he had painted on the paddle, gazed at it with distaste.
“I guess it isn’t much of a job,” he admitted.
“It’s a swell design!” Brad reassured him. “Not that you won’t be able to do even better with a little more practice.”
“I’ll work on an original design—not one copied from a book!” Red announced grimly. “I’ll show that Ross Langdon!”
“That’s the spirit,” laughed Brad. “Maybe it’s a good thing he came prowling around here. It will spur us to greater effort.”
After Ross had gone, the Cubs kept on with their canoe practice until long shadows began to finger out across the water. Mr. Hatfield then called a halt.
“It’s getting late,” he said. “If we want to hike to the ravine, we’ll have to make a start.”
Dan and Chips pulled the canoe out of the water, taking care to drag it far up on shore beyond the reach of waves. There they overturned it so that it would be dry when they wanted to use it again.
“We’ll let Red lead the way,” Mr. Hatfield said as the boys started off through the woods. “Think you can find the ravine?”
“I’m sure I can, Mr. Hatfield. And I’ll prove—”
“Sure, we know,” cut in Chips wearily. “We’ll believe you when we see it. Just lead the way and don’t give with so many promises.”
Goaded by the knowledge that his fellow Cubs still believed his report of the previous night to be a brain fantasy, Red started doggedly off through the woods.
At first he followed the well-marked trail. After going a short distance, he hesitated briefly and then moved off in a diagonal direction.
“Everything looks different in the daytime,” he complained. “I think I came this way, but I’m not sure.”
“The ravine is just ahead,” said Mr. Hatfield. “It extends for the entire distance of the park preserve though.”
Presently, the Cubs emerged from the trees to find themselves on a great limestone rock overlooking a deep gash in the earth.
In either direction, as far as they could see, stretched the shadowy ravine. At the bottom, a tiny stream of clear water rippled and foamed over the rocks.