CHAPTER XIX
HOT WORDS
"Hello, what brings you back?"
"Well, we had a little mix-up, and the boys thought it best that I return here."
It was Albert who thus answered the question of Mr. Bullard, the latter being seated in Albert's room at the hotel, engaged in going over a mass of papers taken from Mr. Jackson's trunk.
"Mix-up?" repeated the government agent, wonderingly. "I hope you and Frank's chums didn't have a quarrel."
"Indeed we did not," answered Albert with a smile. "They aren't the kind of chaps with whom one quarrels. They're too fine for that."
"Well, that's the way I 'sized 'em up,' as Hank Strapp would say," resumed the Secret Service man. "But why aren't you with them?"
Thereupon Albert told what had occurred in the exhibition place of the Royston concession.
"And you don't know just what Frank intended to do if he met that schemer; do you?" asked Mr. Bullard.
"No," Albert replied. "Only he didn't want Royston to see us together."
"And I think he was right in that. Well, it's just as well that you came back, for perhaps you can help me to try to get to the bottom of this mystery."
"Is there a mystery?" asked Albert eagerly. "Have you discovered anything that would straighten out my uncle's affairs? I am so anxious to know if there is any chance of my getting my money. Not for myself alone," he added quickly, lest he be misjudged; "but, as it is now, my uncle is in that asylum as a charity patient—a ward of the state. And he used to be well-off. If he has to have treatment in an insane hospital he ought to pay for it, and have the best.
"That is why I am anxious about the money, though I would like some for myself. I don't want Frank and his chums to be paying my hotel bills."
"I appreciate your position," said Mr. Bullard with a smile, "and I am glad to tell you I think there is a small chance."
"Good!" cried the lad. "What is it? Tell me about it!"
"That's just what I can't do at present," was the reply. "I need your help in unravelling some of the tangles. Your uncle was probably so worried, just before his mind failed, that he did not keep proper records, and I find it hard to straighten out his affairs. Now we will go over these papers."
He laid a bundle down before Albert, putting aside a number that were evidently of little account.
"Oh, those papers!" cried the lad.
"Do you recognize them?"
"In a way—yes. My uncle said they represented something that he hoped would net him a lot of money. But he never went into details with me about it. I guess he had too much else to do. But I remember seeing him go over them. And some of those papers he took with him to New York. When he came back he threw them into the trunk, locked it and then he—he broke down."
Albert's voice faltered.
"I understand," observed Mr. Bullard gently. "But you have told me one of the things I most wanted to know—that Mr. Jackson took these papers to New York with him. I begin to see daylight now. We will go over all of them and you may be able to give me further aid."
Carefully, one by one, the papers were gone over. Some Albert had never seen, but with others he was quite familiar, and some he had even copied for his uncle, who had explained them briefly to him.
It was not easy work, but Mr. Bullard and Albert kept at it. Finally one paper was taken from a bundle of others. As Mr. Bullard unfolded it another slip fell to the floor. Albert picked it up and handed it to the Secret Service man. At the sight of this the government agent cried out:
"There it is! That's what I've been looking for all the while. Now this clinches it!" and he waved the document triumphantly in the air.
"Clinches what?" asked Albert.
"The fact that your uncle was the original owner of a most valuable concession in the fair Zone," was the answer. "I suspected as much from the other papers, but it needed this to prove it."
"My uncle held a concession in the exposition Zone!" cried Albert. "I never heard that!"
"No, for the reason that he was very quiet about it. Only a few persons knew, and those who did have taken advantage of it."
"Taken advantage? What do you mean?"
"I mean they cheated him of his rights. Who knows? Perhaps it was that which made his mind fail. At any rate, we are now in a position to know that your uncle was cheated."
"And do you know by whom?" Albert asked.
"By the same man I have been after a long time—by Bradley Royston!" was the unexpected answer.
"Royston!" cried Albert. "Why he—he is the same man Frank and his chums are——"
"Exactly," interrupted Mr. Bullard. "I think we'll find more of a mix-up in this case the further we go into it. But one fact is established, Royston has the concession that belongs to your uncle, I don't know just which one it is, for I am not familiar with the layout in the Zone, but that it is one of the valuable ones I am certain."
"And I know that!" cried Albert. "It's the 'Wild Life' concession. It must be. And it is a large and valuable one. But how do you know that Royston cheated my uncle out of it?"
"By this," answered Mr. Bullard, and he showed a written receipt from Royston to Mr. Jackson for certain rights and interests in space in the amusement Zone of the Panama Exposition.
With this as a starting point it was easy to piece together the plot by which Royston had obtained possession of the valuable privilege, or concession, of conducting an exhibition at the fair. He had agreed to buy it from Mr. Jackson, but, instead, had made a sort of transfer and trade, giving worthless securities in exchange, so that he was not out of pocket a cent, but obtained a valuable right for practically nothing.
"And what is the next thing to be done?" asked Albert, when this much had been settled. "Are you going to arrest Royston?"
"I wish I could," Mr. Bullard answered, "but, unfortunately, though I believe him guilty, I have not enough legal proof. I need more and it will become your duty, I think, to get it."
"I? How can I get proof?"
"By seeing Royston, perhaps. He may be startled into giving the whole scheme away. Does he know you are with Frank Durham's party?"
"I think not. In fact, I have kept out of his way since my uncle came back from New York in such bad shape."
"That was wise. You can now unexpectedly confront Royston, and, in his surprise, he may blurt out part of the truth. You are not afraid to meet him; are you?"
"Afraid? I should say not!" cried Albert. He was his old self again, and all trace of the timid, shrinking youth, who had almost given his life away needlessly, was gone.
"Then I'll arrange for you to go pay him a visit," said the government man. "Hello, I think our friends are coming back."
Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and the three chums entered. That they were surprised at the news Mr. Bullard and Albert told them can well be imagined.
"And we had a sort of adventure ourselves," said Pep, as he detailed the talk with Royston.
"He's getting desperate," said Mr. Bullard. "He'll make a break soon, and then we'll have him."
"And so your uncle owns that 'Wild Life' concession, and not Royston?" asked Randy of Albert.
"So it seems. I do hope we can get it back for him."
"It might help to bring back his mind if he could realize that he had not lost everything," observed Pep. "I have heard of such cases."
"Yes, it might," agreed Mr. Bullard. "But it is one thing to know that Royston has illegal possession of the concession, but quite another matter to get it away from him. However, we'll have a try at it."
"He certainly is down on us," remarked Frank. "I don't believe it would be wise for us to tackle him again."
"No, I intend having Albert do it," Mr. Bullard said. "He can do it better than any of us, as he legally represents his uncle. And, in fact, Albert is really part owner of that concession, since part of his money went into the purchase of it."
"Hurray!" cried Pep. "If we can't have a motion picture show we can at least help Al run the jungle life exhibit."
"We haven't gotten the concession away from Royston yet," declared Frank, grimly.
Further search of the papers in Mr. Jackson's trunk revealed more duplicity on the part of Royston, and a plan was quickly drawn up by which it was hoped to make him render back to the real owners the concession of which he had cheated them.
"And now I want you to go to Royston, Albert," said Mr. Bullard, "and make a formal demand on him for a surrender of his ownership."
"Suppose he refuses?"
"Well, I expect that. But that will put us legally in line for the next step. Take a witness with you, but not one of the chums. That might only complicate matters."
"I'd better take a lawyer," suggested Albert.
"Well, yes, perhaps that would be a good idea. I know a bright young fellow who has done some work for me."
Accordingly, a little later, Albert, accompanied by a rising young lawyer, started for Royston's office, for he had of late made his headquarters at the Zone amusement place. Albert and his legal representative were provided with the necessary papers.
Royston was not in when they called, but his clerk said he was somewhere about the big building, so the two waited. They were not delayed long.
"I'll show 'em what's what!" blustered the red-faced man as he bustled in. "I'll make 'em stand around! I'm boss here and the sooner they know it the better!"
He threw his hat down on his desk, and, for the first time, caught sight of Albert and the lawyer.
"What! You here!" he cried to Albert. "What does this mean? What do you want?"
"I want the concession you cheated my uncle out of," replied Albert. "I know all about your swindle, and I demand my rights!"
"Your rights!" cried Royston, using boisterous language. "I'll show you about your rights! Huh! You get out of here," and, seizing a heavy paper weight, he made a rush for Albert.