From higher land far up the logging road came an immediate response.
“Round up the Cubs, Brad,” Mr. Hatfield instructed the Den Chief. “Then keep them all together until after Dobbs sets off the dynamite.”
“Sure,” Brad agreed. “Coming, Dan?”
Leaving the log jam where an avalanche of water was pouring over the pile of debris, the two boys quickly found the other four Cubs.
“We thought you never would get back,” Red said. He was wet to the waist and covered with mud, having fallen down on the slippery road. “The creek came up so fast, we moved out.”
Brad and Dan recounted their own experiences at the barn, and ended by telling Dobbs’ confession.
“And all the while that guy was trying to put the blame on us!” Chips exclaimed indignantly. “What a nerve! He drove us away from here because he was afraid we’d learn the truth.”
“And we did, thanks to Mr. Hatfield’s suspicions about the logging road,” declared Brad. “But if Dan hadn’t noticed the shipping tag on that crate, I doubt Dobbs ever would have confessed.”
“What happened to Freeze and Bauer?” Fred questioned. “They got away?”
“Temporarily,” Brad answered. “Mr. Silverton knows their address though. So unless they wise up and slip out of town, he’ll swear out a warrant for their arrest.”