“I guess so,” Dan admitted with a rueful laugh. “But Pat’s a sly one. I sure hope I’m wrong, but I’m terribly afraid he intends to try to break up our Den.”
As the Cubs started home, Dan fell into step up. “If you work at the job, the Bay Shore boys may be won over as friends. That would be much better than having them as enemies.”
The Cubs were far from certain that they wanted the Bay Shore boys as friends. However, they kept their thoughts to themselves.
The Carter kitchen was fragrant with the odor of frying bacon as Dan bounced down the stairs next morning for an eight o’clock breakfast. It was Saturday and a beautiful crisp October day. Dan had plans for every hour ahead.
“Mom,” he began, sliding into his usual chair at the foot of the breakfast table. “Do you know where I can get an ice cream freezer?”
Dan’s odd requests long since had ceased to astonish Mrs. Carter. “You mean the old fashioned kind one turns with a crank?” she asked, pouring orange juice into tall glasses.
“We need a couple of large ones,” Dan explained. “Our Den is throwing a big party for the Mothers and Dads. No freezer—no party.”
“My mother had one, but that was long ago. Let me think—oh, I recall the old Christian Church on River Road had several large ones.”
“That depends, Dan. The old church was abandoned about a year ago. When last I heard, the freezers and other kitchen equipment were stored in the basement. I doubt any of them were moved to the new church building.”
Now that his mother mentioned it, Dan recalled that the Christian Church had been boarded up nearly a year. The building had been offered for sale, but so far no buyer had showed interest. Meanwhile, the place was supervised by Terry Treuhaft, an elderly caretaker, who had his own little cottage not far from the river.
“You might talk to Mr. Treuhaft about it,” Mrs. Carter remarked. “If the freezers are still there, I see no reason why the Cubs shouldn’t have them for the party.”
“I’ll round up some of the Cubs and hike out to his cottage,” Dan decided. He buttered a second slice of toast and scooped the last piece of bacon from the platter. “How’s chances for a pack lunch, Mom?”
“Fairly good, I guess,” his mother smiled. “That is, providing you rake the yard first. The leaves have been falling fast.”