“Nope. I think there’s a logical explanation for the cottage cutting up the way it does. I’d tip Krumm off if he weren’t such a disagreeable egg. He took advantage of old Captain Hager in buying the property, and the townsfolk never quite forgave him.”
“Is Captain Hager still alive?” questioned Ardeth.
“Very much so,” Bart told her. “The old sea dog is edging seventy now, but he’s as spry as ever. Since Krumm got the old homestead away from him, he’s lived frugally in a cabin down on the river.”
“The cave, you said, was named for Captain Hager?”
“Yes, it bore his name ever since I can remember. Then Krumm bought all this property, including the private road and the cave. Right off, he changed the name to Calico Cave.”
“But why?” inquired Judy.
“Well, he didn’t want the cave to have Captain Hager’s name, for one thing. There’s no love between them, you know. Then I guess he thought Hager’s Hole was too closely associated with talk of the White Witch and death.”
“Death?” Ardeth repeated uneasily.
“One man lost his life in the cave. Another explorer—an amateur—broke his leg, and a searching party had to bring him out. Not so many months ago, a group of giddy girls went in without a guide. They lost their way, and wandered around for several hours before help got to them. The stories they told around didn’t help any. So Krumm changed the cave name.”
“I can see that the cavern is no drawing card,” Miss Ward remarked. “When first I saw the cave sign, I assumed that the place might be a tourist attraction.”