CHAPTER 5 Competition
The following Sunday all the Cubs and some of their parents gathered atthe castle grounds to continue work on the play and movie.
"It's well that the Robin Hood theme was chosen," Mr. Hatfield told theboys as they set up the archery target. "I've learned that at leasttwenty organizations are entering the contest. Furthermore, about half ofthem are working on Indian scripts."
The boys had entered into play acting with tremendous enthusiasm.Everyone craved to have the Robin Hood role, but it was generallyconceded that it would fall to either Dan or Ross.
Mr. Holloway took several movie shots of the two Cubs at target practice.He told them that if they would drop around to his house a few nightslater, all of the films would be run off.
"It will give us an idea of how we're coming along," he remarked. "Wehave a lot of work ahead of us before the play can be whipped into shapefor the final filming."
Mr. Hatfield explained to the Cubs that as the script was being written,a shooting match at Nottingham would be one of the outstanding scenes.
"We can't film this scene until nearly last because we haven't settledupon who is to be Robin Hood," he declared. "For that reason, it will benecessary to skip around in the story, shooting a scene whenever we can.Later on we'll prune out many of them."
"This preliminary work is more or less to get a line on acting ability,"Mr. Holloway added. "The roles are only temporary."
"What scene will we film first?" Midge asked his father.
Mr. Holloway said he had thought of doing one in which the sheriff playedthe leading part.
"You know the story," he refreshed the memories of the boys. "At theshooting match in Nottingham, Robin Hood disguises himself and wins outover some of the best shots in England. But after tricking the sheriff,he wishes to let him know that it was he who had been victorious."
"Oh, I remember that scene!" cried Dan. "Robin Hood sends Little John andWill Stutely into the town. While the sheriff and his men are at dinner,they shoot an arrow onto the table. A scroll is attached to the shaft.The message reveals that it was Robin Hood who won the shooting match,disguised as the tattered stranger."
"We'll have to modify the scene somewhat," Mr. Holloway said. "For onething, it will be taken outdoors instead of inside the castle."
"We could make it inside," interposed Ross.
Mr. Holloway shook his head. "We have no permission to enter thebuilding," he reminded the Cub.
"What will we use for a banquet table?" inquired Brad.
The Den Dad told the boys he had noticed a roadside picnic table andbench along the highway, which would serve.
"I asked permission of the State Highway Dept. to borrow it for an hour,"he said. "We can move it up here, so we'll have the castle for abackground. Then when the scene is finished, we'll carry it back again."
Brad, Dan, Chips and Fred Hatfield started off to get the table andbench.
"Coming, Ross?" Chips asked him.
"Oh, I've got to do something else," he replied vaguely.
"I'll go," offered Red Suell.
Several of the Den 1 boys also offered their services. No comment wasmade on Ross' reluctance to help. Each Cub, however, secretly was annoyedby the other boy's laziness.
The long wooden table and bench were set up on the brick terrace in frontof the vine-covered castle wall.
Food and dishes then were brought out from the picnic hampers.
"We'll shoot the scene two or three times, using different boys invarious parts," Mr. Hatfield declared. "Brad will act the role of LittleJohn for the first filming. We'll try Ross out as the sheriff--"
"But I'm to be Robin Hood," the boy broke in.
"That hasn't been decided yet," the Cub leader reminded him. IgnoringRoss' scowl, he went on: "Chips will take the part of Will Stutely. Theothers will be knights gathered at the festive board."
"I don't want to be the sheriff," Ross muttered.
"Oh, forget it, will you?" Brad demanded, losing patience. "A Cub issupposed to be cooperative."
The filming of the scene began. Still grumbling at the role which hadbeen thrust upon him, Ross took his place at the head of the picnictable.
As the camera began to grind, Brad, from the nearby thicket, shot anarrow. His first missed the table completely. On the second try, however,it dropped squarely amid the dishes.
"Whence came this?" Ross demanded, speaking the lines which had beenassigned him.
He picked up the arrow, and removing the scroll, read the message.
"'Thou didst give the prize to Robin Hood,'" he read aloud. And he addedwith gruff hostility: "Wait until I lay my hands on that sneakingcoward!"
"Cut!" called Mr. Holloway. "Well done, boys!"
The Cubs praised Ross, for he had spoken the lines of the sheriffnaturally. Also, his sullen manner had suited the character perfectly.
"You make a swell sheriff," Red praised him.
"Oh, yeah?" Ross retorted. "Well, don't think you're going to unload thatrole on me! I'm going to be Robin Hood."
Mr. Holloway filmed a scene with Brad and Chips as Little John and WillStutely. He then tried out several of the Den 1 boys in the part of thesheriff.
However, everyone agreed that Ross had acted the role better than anyoneelse.
"Dan, you ought to be Robin Hood," Brad told him as the two rested undera tree. "You're a natural for that part, just as Ross is in the role ofsheriff."
"Try to make him think so!"
"It's up to Mr. Holloway and Mr. Hatfield to assign the parts."
"Sure," Dan agreed, chewing at a blade of grass, "but it was decidedRobin Hood should be played by the Cub who proves to be the best shot.And we both know Ross is tops."
"It hasn't been proven yet," Brad insisted. "I noticed while you werepracticing a while ago, you're improving fast, Dan. Ross hasn't touched abow all day."
"I'm working hard," Dan admitted. "Honestly though, I think Ross will winthe part."
"He doesn't deserve it with all his boasting."
"Maybe not, but he's handy with a bow. And that's what counts. Say--"
Dan, who was sprawled comfortably on the ground, suddenly sat up. Hegazed steadily toward the bushes behind the castle.
"What's wrong?" demanded his companion.
"Nothing, I guess," Dan admitted with a laugh. "For just a minute, Ithought--"
"You thought what, Dan?"
"Well, I caught a flash of green over there amid the bushes. I thought Isaw someone peeping out."
"One of the Cubs probably."
"It could have been, only it didn't look like any of the fellows."
"The parents are roaming around the grounds too," Brad reminded him.
"I know," Dan admitted, "it couldn't have been anything. All the same, itgave me a start for a second. I had the feeling someone who shouldn't behere was watching the filming of our play."
"The ghost of the castle, for instance?" Brad asked, giving him asidelong glance.
"Quit kidding me."
"You did think you saw someone."
"Sure," Dan said soberly. "It might have been one of the Cubs, only Ididn't think so. You know, Brad, I've had a queer feeling ever since wecame here."
"As if someone were watching us?"
"That's right, Brad. I know it sounds silly."
"It isn't silly," the older boy replied soberly. "I've had the same sortof feeling myself."
"I suppose my imagination was stirred by finding a fire inside thecastle," Dan said. "And then that arrow in the target. It never did matchany of the ones we were using."
"Someone is hiding out here all right," Brad admitted with suddenconviction. "Suppose we amble around and see if we can find anyone. Nouse worrying the other Cubs."
Without attracting attention to themselves, the two boys walked over tothe bushes where Dan had seen movement.
No one was there. Brad found a few footprints. There was
no way theycould tell whether or not they had been made by one of the Cubs. For, asDan pointed out, the boys of Den 1 and 2 had been everywhere on thegrounds.
"We'll be smart not to say anything about this to the other fellows,"Brad advised. "No use getting them excited. Especially as it may notamount to anything."
"I'll keep mum," Dan promised. "All the same, I'd like to track down ourcastle ghost. So far, he's proven as elusive as Robin Hood himself!"