“The whole deal looks phony,” Jack said. “Rhodes knows more than he’s telling, and he’s afraid I’ll find out something by talking to the miners. That’s why he watches me so closely.”
“I’d like to look over Corning’s papers,” Mr. Livingston said thoughtfully. “If ever he searched for an old mine, I’m sure he would have left a record of his work.”
“We could ask Rhodes to let us look over his things.”
“I did, this afternoon, Jack. He denied me access to the office file.”
“Why not look without his permission?”
“I don’t like to do that, Jack.”
“We’re dealing with a guy who has no scruples,” Jack pointed out. “Anyway, let’s breeze him again. Maybe if we bear down hard, he’ll let us go through Corning’s papers.”
“We can try,” Mr. Livingston agreed.
Leaving the other Scouts behind, the pair walked to the office. The building was lighted with two gasoline lamps, but upon entering, they found no one there.
“Rhodes is at the house, I guess,” the Scout leader said.