Mr. Arden ceased his pacing up and down the library, and taking up a
bundle of papers from a table--papers that seemed fairly to bristle with
red seals--he sat down in an easy chair. But he was anything but at ease
himself.
"Boys," he began, while Ned and Frank wondered what was in store for
them, "there is no need of going into too many details, or in saying I
am sorry for what has happened. I am more sorry than I can ever tell
you, for it looks as though I had betrayed the trust my dead brother
left to me--the trust of bringing up you boys as he would have done
himself had he lived." As he spoke tears came into Mr. Arden's eyes.
"Don't worry," said Ned, warmly. "Whatever you have done, Uncle Phil, we
know it was done with the best intentions."
"That's right!" chimed in Frank.
"Well, it's good to hear you say that, for others might judge me more
harshly," went on the importer. "And I really acted from the best
motives and for your interests. I may have made a mistake--I don't claim
to be infallible--but I intended no wrong.
"And now, boys, for the worst of it. It may happen that at any moment
your fortunes, as well as mine, will be wiped out--lost."
"Lost!" echoed Frank.
"All our money?" added Ned.
"Yes. There is no use concealing anything," their uncle said. "All our
fortunes are in jeopardy and may be swept away if the political
situation in Uridio does not clear up."
"Uridio! Where is that?" asked Frank.
"It is a small South American republic," was the answer. "There was
trouble some years ago in one of the many states that go to make up
Brazil. Some of the inhabitants set up a sort of independent government
under a new political leader. Then another man had ambitions to become
president of the same little republic, and he organized an army and took
control.
"The republic is really too small for Brazil to worry about, and that is
why the affair never created much of a stir, at least up in this part of
the world."
"But how are you--or we--interested in Uridio?" asked Frank.
"Because your money and mine is tied up there in certain concessions,"
said Mr. Arden.
"But I thought our fortunes were invested in father's importing
business," said Frank.
"They were. But the importing business has changed greatly of late
years. There is not so much money in it as there used to be. I saw that
situation arising, and gradually I curtailed the business. Then I became
interested in this South American republic of Uridio. It has great
natural resources and varied products, and, best of all, it touches the
sea coast, so we can ship direct, though the harbor is a miserable one,
and unsafe in stormy weather. But still it was profitable to do business
there. At least until recently."
"And what happened recently?" asked Ned.
"Well, it seems there was another change of government down there.
Another man wanted to be king, or president, or whatever they call
themselves, so he started a revolt, and there was a small revolution."
"Say, that sounds like a story from a book!" exclaimed Ned, his eyes
sparkling. He did not seem to think of his lost fortune.
"I wish it were just a story in a book," went on his uncle ruefully.
"The trouble is it is all too true. Now to resume: When this revolution
came my interests happened to be partly with the losing side. I had many
concessions and rights to trade and do business from the man who lost
out.
"Mind you!" said Mr. Arden, earnestly, "I have nothing to do with the
politics down there. I'd never risk your money or my own in a political
game. It was straight business with me, buying and selling. But the
trouble was I had to do business with one side or the other, and luck
has turned against me. I am with the losing party."
"But maybe fortune will turn," said Frank. "And if you do lose our
money--and yours--why it might have happened in the importing trade."
"Yes," admitted his uncle, smiling a little at the lad's optimism. At
nineteen several fortunes may be won and lost, at least so a strong,
healthy lad may think. "Yes," went on Mr. Arden, "I might have lost all
our money in some other venture, but I didn't. I chose to take chances
in this South American republic, and I suppose I should not have done
so."
"But where does the arrest come in?" asked Ned. "I can't see that losing
your money, or ours for that matter, is any reason why you should be
arrested. It's our own affair. Of course, it isn't going to be any fun
to lose money. I don't think that for a minute. But we have our health."
"And our motor boat," added Frank. "They wouldn't take that, I suppose?"
he added, a bit apprehensively.
"No, I don't suppose they'd take that," his uncle replied, "though you
may not have money enough to buy gasoline."
"We can take out fishing and excursion parties, and make money that
way," laughed Ned. Really it did not seem so bad as it had at first.
"I guess you won't have to do that right away," said Mr. Arden. "Though
if the money goes, all will be wiped out and we'll lose
everything--including this house."
The boys rather gasped at that. It was the only home they had ever
known.
"But you haven't yet told us why they can take you away," insisted
Frank.
"I'll tell you directly. It seems that the political party in power in
Uridio has accused me of having furnished arms and munitions of war to
their enemies, the revolutionists. It is a political trick, but I am
not, at present, able to prove my innocence."
"Did you help take part in a real revolution?" asked Ned. "If you
did--say--cracky! Why didn't you tell us?" His eyes sparkled.
"No, I had no part in the revolution, either actually or in furnishing
money or arms," said his uncle. "I was simply doing business with the
revolutionary party--buying and selling goods and trying to make an
honest living. But for some reasons of their own, the political
tricksters down there are making trouble for me.
"It seems that the property of some United States citizens was damaged
in some recent fighting, and they have demanded money satisfaction. Our
government has taken up their claims, and they look to me to settle the
loss."
"Why to you?" asked Frank.
"Because it is falsely asserted that I financed the revolution. It is
all pretty complicated, and I don't expect you boys to understand it
all. But the pith of the matter is right here. The United States
citizens who have suffered losses in Uridio are trying to make me pay.
To do so would take all your money and mine that is invested down in the
South American republic, and we would be ruined."
"And if you fight the claim?" asked Ned.
"I have fought the claim, but witnesses were suborned and I cannot prove
that I was in no way responsible."
Frank whistled.
"It looks serious," he said.
"It is serious!" declared his uncle. "I have been served with legal
notices, and the time limit is almost up. I must either settle or go to
jail."
"Jail?" cried Frank, stung by the word.
"Well, that's what many persons would call it," said his uncle, with a
grim smile. "Really, it will be a federal prison, for it is the United
States federal authorities who are acting against me. I won't actually
be locked up in a cell, I suppose, nor set to breaking stone, and I may
not have to wear stripes. You see it is a sort of political business
accusation against me."
"But why do you have to go to jail, or to a federal prison, at all?"
asked Ned. "Can't you be bailed?"
"Too late for that after conviction. What I need now is money to
continue the fight."
"Use your own money--or ours!" cried Frank, eagerly. Both lads loved
their uncle almost as a father.
"The trouble is that your money and mine will be attached--held in
escrow, I believe they call it--to settle for these damages in case I can
not prove my innocence of having financed a revolution," Mr. Arden
declared. "So with our money tied up that way, none will be available,
and I'll have to be--well, let us call it detained--for years," and once
more he smiled grimly.
Ned and Frank did not know what to think. They asked their uncle many
questions, and he answered them as best he could; but they did not
understand all the details.
"As near as I can figure out," said Frank, when he and his brother went
up to their rooms just before supper, "Uncle Phil is accused of starting
a revolution, which he didn't. And in the revolution some damage was
done that must be paid for, and they're looking to him to put up the
money. If he doesn't they'll lock him up, and put his money in their own
strong boxes, where he can't use it to fight the case further."
"That's about the way it sizes up," agreed Ned.
"Well, what's the next move?" asked his brother.
"Hanged if I know," said Ned. "I can't think of anything. And I haven't
got any too much cash on hand," he added, as he went over to a box on
his bureau, where he kept his money.
"It sure is a queer situation," conceded Frank. "If we were only on a
battleship now, we could go down to that little measly one-horse South
American republic, unlimber our big guns and tell 'em to fork over our
money, and dig up evidence to clear Uncle Phil, or we'd shoot!"
"Yes," sighed Ned, "we might do that. But the chances of our getting on
a battleship are about a thousand to one."
If he had only known what was coming!
After supper the boys had another talk with their uncle, and he showed
them some of the legal papers that had been served on him that day just
before they came in out of the rain.
"How long before you may be confined?" asked Frank.
"Three days," was the answer. "But I'm going to try and stave it off."
It was a vain attempt, however. Three days later, when the storm had
cleared, the boys came in from a fishing trip and found Mrs. Brun
weeping, and the servants very much upset.
"What has happened?" demanded Frank of the housekeeper.
"Your dear--uncle--they came and took him away," she sobbed.
"Took him away! Who?"
"I don't know. But he told me to tell you he was under arrest, and that
you would understand."
"Under arrest!" exclaimed Frank, and as Ned echoed the words the
brothers looked apprehensively at each other.