Frank and Ned were greatly surprised at the unexpected news given them
by Mr. Kennedy, the coffee merchant. For a while they did not know what
to say, nor what questions to ask first.
"Say, did you ever hear anything like the way this has turned out?" Ned
finally demanded. "It's like a book story."
"It beats a book story," Frank observed. "I thought it was a queer
coincidence when our battleship was ordered to this republic, where our
fortunes and Uncle Phil's are tied up, but to find here some one who
knows him, and the different complications with which he is tied up is
certainly wonderful."
"It certainly is," agreed Mr. Kennedy. "I never thought you would be
among the battleship boys who were coming to our relief. Now I'll tell
you all I know about your uncle's affairs. I am sorry to hear he is in
prison."
"Well, of course it isn't as if he were a criminal," put in Ned.
"No, of course not," admitted the coffee man.
"And he's pretty comfortable, or he was the last we heard from him,"
went on Frank. "But he does want his liberty so he can prove his
innocence and save our money. You know we lost practically everything."
"Yes, and we were robbed in New York, and if we hadn't enlisted we might
have starved," added Ned, and he and his brother, in turn, told their
story.
Then came Mr. Kennedy's opportunity. By this time the sailors from the
battleship had made themselves comfortable in the warehouse, disposing
themselves on piles of empty bags to sleep. Of course, sentries were
posted to guard against a surprise in case the revolutionists returned,
but this did not seem likely. The sound of firing in other parts of the
town grew more distant, and it was evident that the rebels had been
driven back to their quarters in the hills.
"And we may have to get you to use your big guns on them again," said
the coffee man.
"Did the shells do much damage--kill many?" asked Frank.
"He fired one gun," said Ned, proudly.
"Did you, indeed? Well, no, not many were killed; in fact, none, though
several were wounded by flying debris. We asked your captain to shell
the two hills to blow them apart, and make it less easy for the
revolutionists to hide up there. We hope to attack the position soon,
and we wanted it made as easy as possible to take.
"But now I'll tell you something of your uncle's affairs, and we'll try
and plan a way to help him. It all depends on that rascal Bernardo, one
of the rebel leaders. He's a bad one!"
Then the coffee man went into details with which it is unnecessary to
burden the readers, as most of what he told Frank and Ned was of
interest only to them and their uncle.
In brief the facts were these. After the death of the boys' father, as
has been related before, Mr. Arden took his money and the boys'
fortunes, of which he had charge, and invested in various industries in
the South American republic. Some of the investments were in the natural
resources of the country, and others were in stock companies organized
to develop different businesses, some of which were owned by American,
and some by other foreign residents of Pectelo.
It was through some of these business matters that the boys' uncle had
met Mr. Kennedy. The two had trade interests in common, and often helped
each other. Ned and Frank, going to college, and spending their summers
on Great South Bay, knew nothing of all this.
Finally the success of Mr. Arden in the South American republic excited
the jealousy of some of the native residents there, especially the man
Rafello Bernardo, a Portuguese trader. He had had some business dealings
with Mr. Arden, but the latter caught him in some underhand transactions
and refused to have anything more to do with him. This angered Bernardo,
and he sought means of revenging himself.
He found it in the pending revolution. Revolutions often occur in
Central and South American republics of the lesser size, and in Uridio
they were nothing new. But to have any sort of revolution it is
necessary to have arms, and as the revolutionists under Bernardo had
none, they had to purchase them.
The government forces, or at least the government then in power, the one
under which Mr. Arden, Mr. Kennedy and the others held their concessions
and privileges, felt that if they could keep arms away from the
revolutionists they could easily subdue them, and to this they bent all
their efforts.
But arms were smuggled in, and not until it was too late did Mr. Arden
learn that some of his own agents and employees had used his factories,
his warehouses and his very transportation facilities to bring in the
weapons. And when this was found out Bernardo falsely said that Mr.
Arden had helped to finance the revolution, that he had arranged for the
shipment of arms, and that Mt. Arden hoped to have a large part in the
new government that would be set up.
Mr. Arden had no means of disproving this, and action was taken against
him by those who had been injured, complaint being made to the federal
authorities, who had no option but to act and cause the arrest of the
boys' uncle. The rest of the story you know.
"And so things have been going on from bad to worse," said Mr. Kennedy.
"I wondered what had become of your uncle. I knew his affairs here were
in bad shape, but I kept expecting him to come down and straighten them
out. I never dreamed he was arrested. I was in Europe on business for
awhile, and when I returned I had so much on my hands, protecting my
property from the effects of the revolution, that I had no chance to
make the proper inquiries.
"The revolution dragged until recently, when it assumed such an aspect
that we Americans determined to ask the protection of Uncle Sam. And I
assure you I never saw a prettier sight than when your magnificent
battleship dropped anchor in our bay."
"She is a great ship!" cried Ned, with sparkling eyes.
"But how are we going to get hold of this Bernardo, and prove the
innocence of Uncle Phil?" asked Frank.
"I don't really know," replied Mr. Kennedy. "We shall have to wait and
see what happens. The revolution isn't over yet, by a long shot. Those
rascals have drawn off, but they'll come back. They really outnumber
us--that is we Americans, our employees and the friendly inhabitants," he
went on, "though you blue-jackets will turn the scale in our favor. And
once the revolution is broken, and Bernardo and his rascals driven out
of the country, I think we'll have peace. We'll see what happens when
morning comes."
It may be imagined that Frank and Ned had so much to talk about that
they did not sleep well. But finally they dozed off. Morning brought no
resumption of the fighting. Orders came that the detachments already on
shore, thus including Frank and Ned, were to remain in the city, being
stationed in different quarters. More blue-jackets came from the
battleship, and more field artillery was landed.
Camp kitchens were set up, and the detachment which included our two
heroes remained quartered in the coffee warehouse, which made fine
barracks.
That day passed quietly, though spies reported that the revolutionists
were gathering in force in the hills and seemed to be getting ready for
another attack.
It came two days later. But the battleship forces, the American
residents, and the loyal citizens were ready for them, and after some
sharp fighting, in which a number were killed and wounded, including
some of the comrades of Ned and Frank, the tide of battle went against
the revolutionists.
Their defeat was accompanied by a panic, and most of them surrendered.
It fell to the lot of Ned, Frank and their detachment to be in the van
of the fighting. Frank did not receive a scratch, but Ned received a
flesh wound in the arm. He refused to go to the rear to have it treated,
but tied on a first aid bandage, and went on fighting. Mr. Kennedy
joined the squad and fought side by side with Frank and Ned. And it was
due to this that they were able, toward the end, to catch sight of the
man responsible for their uncle's troubles.
"There's Bernardo now, and his bodyguard--rascals all!" exclaimed the
coffee man as they were pursuing a group of the fleeing revolutionists.
"Where?" demanded Frank.
"There--that tall, dark man!"
"Come on, Ned!" yelled the older brother.
The fighting was practically over. That in which our two heroes had
taken part had been going on near the water front. The two brothers
rushed forward, followed by Mr. Kennedy.
"Those lads have grit!" he exclaimed.
Bernardo, seeing that he was completely beaten, called to his men to
follow him. He turned and shook his fist at his pursuers, but he had no
more shots left in either his rifle or revolver, nor did any of his men.
"We'll get him!" panted Frank. "We'll get him and make him prove Uncle
Phil's innocence!"
The chase grew hotter. It was along the water front, and out among the
small piers.