Following his teammates to the dressing room, the boy showered and scrambled into street clothes. Victory had brought a warm inner glow. He felt at peace with the world.
The feeling, however, was short lived. In leaving the dressing room, he chanced to hear Mr. Holloway and the Den 1 coach discussing prospects of obtaining Skeleton Island as a Scout camp.
“The deal’s definitely washed up,” Midge’s father told the coach. “Too bad, because the site is the best one around Webster City.”
Since the weekend when the Cubs had camped on the island, Dan had not seen Mr. Manheim or the caretaker, Jabowski. He and Brad had reported to Mr. Hatfield their discovery of the old tunnel leading under the hotel. However, the Cub leader had not considered it advisable to take the matter up.
“It’s useless to speculate on what may have happened there,” he told the disappointed boys. “To impress Mr. Manheim or the police, we need evidence. Without it, we’ll be wise to let matters rest as they are.”
Dan also had been discouraged to learn that Frisk Fagan, the motorboat operator, had been released from jail on bond. Realization that the man was at liberty gave the boy a few uneasy moments. Though he expected no trouble, he could not forget that he had been warned not to identify the man.
As Dan removed his coat from the locker, Mack came hurrying up.
“Say, you’re wanted outside,” he informed. “A man wants to talk to you.”
“Who is he, Mack?”
“Didn’t say,” the other flung over his shoulder as he went on toward the dressing room. “He’s waiting out in front of the building.”