"Why, hello, Mr. Gibbs!" exclaimed the boy from Baxter, suddenly stepping forward.
At the name, Gibbs started, and cast a swift glance toward the hotel desk to see if the clerks were looking toward him, finding to his evident relief that they were not.
"Why, hello, Fred," he replied, with a poor attempt at a smile, and limply shaking the hand the boy forced upon him, "what are you doing here?"
"Came down to look for a job," replied Fred.
By this time, the man had recovered his composure.
"I should think you would have waited till after the game. But it's just like a Markham to desert his friends when they need him," sneered the man.
"Don't you mean a Montgomery, instead of a Markham?" asked Fred meaningly.
But Charlie Gibbs never deigned a reply, and hurriedly entered the elevator.
Smiling happily to himself, Fred lingered a few minutes in the hotel, and then went outside, where he was quickly joined by Bronson and the investigators, who congratulated him on his success and instructed him to go to the lawyer's office.
But with their object accomplished, both boys began to think about reaching Baxter in time to accompany the team.