CHAPTER XX
AT THE ASYLUM
With a bound Albert Jackson was out of his chair, and had grasped the back of it, intending to use it for a weapon. But Mr. Watt, the young lawyer, using great good sense, laid a restraining hand on the youth's arm.
"That won't do," he said, quickly. "We can't meet force with force—just yet. We must be diplomatic."
"But he—he——" Albert made a motion toward the heavy paperweight Royston still held poised.
"Put that down!" commanded Mr. Watt, sharply. And, though Royston was much older, and taller and stronger than the lawyer, yet such was the moral force exerted by the latter that the bullying man obeyed.
"This is a fine how-d'-do!" he blustered. "Defying me in my own office. Now you get out of here—both of you!" he ordered. "You haven't any right here, and I don't want you! Get out!"
"We'll do that—willingly," said the young lawyer, calmly. "It is not from any desire for your society that we came, but merely to comply with certain legal forms, and make a formal demand in person."
"Huh! I've heard a lot of such talk as that," sneered Royston.
"Well, you'll hear more of the same sort before we are through with you," resumed Mr. Watt, with a smile. He and Albert were standing facing the angry promoter. But they were not afraid. All Royston's bluff and bluster seemed to have departed.
"What is it you want?" growled Royston.
"My rights!" impulsively exclaimed Albert. He had been timid and shrinking following the disaster to his uncle, and, at one time he had been as "weak-spirited as a cat," to quote Hank Strapp. But now Albert seemed to have caught some of the energy of the motion picture chums. He faced Royston boldly. "I want my rights, and my uncle's rights!" he repeated.
"Huh! Your rights! You haven't any rights, that I know anything about."
"Well, then, my uncle's rights. Will you deny that he had some in this enterprise of yours?" and Albert looked around at the office of the concession, which was almost as gaudily furnished as some of the jungle pictures were painted.
"Well, your uncle did go into this thing with me, there's no harm in admitting that, and no crime, either, I want you to understand!" and Royston glared at the lawyer.
"Well, if there was no crime, then there will be no punishment," was the reply. "We only want our rights."
Again Royston blustered, but he was not as confident as he had been at first. He looked at the heavy paperweight he had laid aside, as though he contemplated using it after all.
"It has become known to us," went on Mr. Watt, "that you had some sort of an agreement with Mr. Jackson, the uncle of this boy. What the agreement called for we have not, as yet, learned. But it concerned the concession here, and, no doubt, provided for a share in the profits. Mr. Jackson invested his money, and——"
"Yes, he did, and then he lost it all!" roared Royston. "Since you know so much, maybe you know that! I did have an agreement with Jackson, I don't deny that. But he knew about as much of business as a baby. He wouldn't follow my advice, and he lost all his money in New York. He even mortgaged his share in this enterprise, and now he doesn't own a dollar of it—he nor his nephew there.
"Now see how you like that. Go on with your law actions, if you want to. I'm not afraid! I tell you I'm within my rights. Jackson can't claim a dollar from me.
"And another thing! I've stood all I'm going to from you. This is a private office, and I order you out! If you don't go the law gives me the right to put you out by force. If you're a lawyer you know that. Now you get out!"
Royston had worked himself up to a high pitch of anger. Albert looked at Mr. Watt, and the latter seemed worried. Certainly he was not prepared for such a strong denial on the part of the promoter.
"Are you going to leave?" demanded Royston.
"Since you force us to, of course," answered Mr. Watt. "But once more, I make a formal demand on you for an accounting of Mr. Jackson's rights."
"He hasn't any rights!" fairly shouted Royston. "He wasted them! Now you get out!"
Again he motioned toward the paperweight, but Mr. Watt was going to give him no excuse for resorting to violence.
"Come on, Albert," he said. "We'll go back."
"And you needn't trouble to come again," sneered Royston.
The lawyer did not answer him. He served legal papers on the promoter and then, together, in silence, he and Albert made their way out along the Zone. Then, after they had gone a short distance, the lad spoke.
"It wasn't any use; was it?" he remarked, sadly. "I might have known I wouldn't have any luck!"
"Oh, don't be discouraged," said Mr. Watt, cheerfully. "We lawyers are used to being beaten in the first round or so. This fight is going on, and we'll win in the end, I feel sure of it."
"What are you going to do now?" asked Albert.
"Go back and report to Mr. Bullard and your friends. They will want to be consulted on the next move."
They found the motion picture chums, with Mr. Bullard, Hank Strapp and Ben Jolly, anxiously awaiting them at the hotel.
"What luck?" asked Frank.
"None at all," was the despondent reply of Albert. "He drove us out of his office."
"The mean skunk!" cried the man from Montana. "I've a good notion to rustle over there with a rope, and——"
"Hold on," put in Ben, mildly. "You've given up being a cowboy, Mr. Strapp."
"Well, I've got the feelings yet," grumbled the Westerner.
"I'd like to have a go with that Royston!" exclaimed Pep.
"Better wait," advised Frank.
The boys and their friends listened to the story of the interview with the promoter. Then everyone looked to Mr. Bullard for advice.
"Well, I expected something like that," said the government agent. "It wasn't to be hoped that Royston would give up without a fight. Now, the next question is, what are we going to do?"
"Get Albert's rights!" cried Pep. "And Mr. Jackson's, too! Go to law about it!"
"Yes, but to begin a lawsuit that would be successful we must have better evidence than we have," suggested Mr. Watt. "Royston says he was associated with Albert's uncle, but that the latter lost all his money, and even his rights in the concession. We must either prove that this is not so, or else that Royston cheated Mr. Jackson of his money."
"And how can we do that, with my uncle in the asylum?" asked Albert, despondently.
"Maybe we can help some by going to the asylum!" broke in Hank Strapp. "Yes, I mean it," he added, as the others looked at him wonderingly. "Mr. Jackson may be able to furnish us with a clue. Oh, stranger things have happened," he went on. "I've seen heaps of folks outside of an asylum that ought to be inside, and lots of 'em who are shut up in insane hospitals have more sense than we give 'em credit for. I say let someone go to see Mr. Jackson. Maybe he isn't as crazy as we think."
There was a moment of silence, and then Mr. Bullard said:
"I think that is excellent advice. Albert, you and I and Mr. Watt will go to the asylum, and see your uncle. Perhaps he can give us the very evidence we now lack."
A little later, the government man, the lawyer and the nephew of the afflicted man were at the insane hospital.