Book Three of the much-loved Scout Series!

When Tom and his friends Bert and Carl set out on an adventure over spring vacation, they are only looking for a good time. But soon a series of baffling events draws them inexorably into another mystery.

What connection is there between a dangerous poacher, a police cap on top of a tower, a host of unsolved burglaries, and a mysterious fire? Is the fearsome character who walks on the swamp the ghost of the legendary Flying Phantom? Or is it something or someone else?

Join the boys, Tom’s dog, Scout, and their mutual friend Captain Brandenburg as they muster courage, tenacity, and wit to track a very unusual kind of criminal.

When Tom names his German shepherd puppy Scout, little does he know how aptly he has named him. Although the dog’s tracking ability gets him and his master into serious trouble, he also saves Tom’s life.

Tom finds himself caught up in events of World War Two. In his youthful adventurousness, Tom is forced to call on the courage and talents of his clever dog again and again. As the allied forces approach his home town, Tom and his friend overhear German military secrets. The secret trail through the swamp puts Scout’s talents and Tom’s courage and endurance to the ultimate test.

When they get to the other town, they go straight to the Allied command post and tell them what they overheard from the Germans. As dawn breaks Tom shows the secret path to the Allies, who end up liberating Tom’s home town.

Book Two in the Scout series!

Tom and Scout are on vacation with Tom’s two best friends, Carl and Bert, and his sisters, Ina and Miriam. On their rambles through the woods, the group of young people are stopped one day by customs officials. They are accused of being in league with a gang of criminals who are smuggling goods across the nearby German border. Scout’s reputation as a tracking dog has preceded him, and soon the young people are helping both the police and the customs officials.

The mystery of the haunted castle, a coded message hidden under a tree, a gang of smugglers that can vanish at will, a burglary without clues — they all come together when Tom and Scout tumble over a four-hundred-year-old secret. Suddenly, however, Tom is no longer looking for adventure but fighting for his very life.

While Tom and his two friends are making plans for a vacation, Carl’s father announces that he has acquired a sailboat, as part of a business deal. The three boys see the chance for a very unusual holiday.

Their peaceful sailing trip is sabotaged when they run into a gang of notorious carnival followers who put on sidewalk shows as a cover for more profitable sidelines. After a confrontation with the gang, the three sailors and Scout find themselves in trouble with the police. Their attempt to clear themselves leads to a wild chase through rivers, canals, and lakes. When at last the boys come face to face with the gang and its ruthless leader, they are stranded on an island in the middle of an isolated lake. In the showdown they are all alone — except for Scout.