“Were you in the gang that was supposed to have ripped the church building apart?”
“We were not,” Dan returned. “Our organization has been falsely accused. We’re trying to prove we had nothing to do with it.”
“Can’t you?”
“It’s not so easy. You see, a few of us visited the grounds before the real damage was done. We accidentally smashed a window. After we left, the place was wrecked, and we were accused.”
“It happened just after dark,” the home owner said. “I know because I heard windows being smashed. A half dozen kids, more or less, were in the gang, running wild over the place. I called police, but they got away before the wagon arrived.”
“Did you see any of the boys?” Brad asked eagerly.
“Only at a distance.”
“You didn’t see anyone in Cub uniforms?”
“I was too far away to tell. The boys mostly were large fellows. Too old to be Cubs, I’d judge.”
Brad and Dan asked the man for his name and address, intending to give it to Mr. Hatfield. If their case actually came to trial it might be that he could be called to testify in behalf of the Cubs. His information, though, was meager.