CHAPTER XXI.
THE TANGLE STRAIGHTENED OUT.
It was nearly daylight when the tired party entered the lobby of the hotelat Culebra. The eight men who had been captured were all under strongguard, the bombs had been taken from the dam, and the danger was over.
"Now," Lieutenant Gordon said, "we'll go after the men higher up."
He started back as he uttered the words, for Mr. Shaw, Harvey Chester,Col. Van Ellis, George Tolford, and Tony Chester came hastening towardhim.
"There are three of the men higher up!" the lieutenant shouted. "I arrestyou, gentlemen, for treason!"
The three men drew back in surprise and Mr. Shaw stepped forward.
"What does it mean?" he asked. "I sailed from New York the day after theboys left, but reached Culebra only to-night. When I came here I found Mr.Chester and Mr. Van Ellis waiting for news from Ned Nestor. What does itmean?"
"It means!" shouted Gordon, "that your dupes are all under arrest, throughthe efforts of Nestor, and that the Gatun dam is no longer in danger. Italso means that you three men are under arrest! I suspected, that night inyour house in New York, Shaw, that you were trying to lead me to a falsetrail."
Mr. Shaw glanced indifferently at the officer and motioned to adistinguished looking gentleman who had been observing the scene from adistance.
"This," he said, "is Colonel Hill, your chief, Gordon. He came on from NewYork with me. Let him speak."
"But the others are prisoners," insisted Gordon.
"I have an idea," Mr. Shaw said, "that Nestor knows more about thecomplications of this case than any one else. Suppose we let him sum itup?"
"I am sure he can do it!" growled Gordon.
Although it was now broad daylight, and all were tired and in need ofsleep, the party went to a private parlor and Ned began the story of thecase, first having a short talk with Jimmie, who had listened to aconfession from Gaga.
"The plot against the Gatun dam," he said, "did not originate with thebusiness men who were looking for emeralds along the line of the cut. WhenI first sized up the case it seemed to me that the men interested inemeralds, including Mr. Shaw, were willing to delay the completion of thecanal in order that they might have time to develop mines believed to befabulously rich in emeralds."
"That is the way it looked to me," the lieutenant said.
"I began work along that line," continued Ned, "for the news that Mr. Shawwas interested in emerald mines, and his refusal to reveal the contents ofthe papers he had secured, led me to the opinion that he had beenapproached by his partners with a proposition to destroy the Gatun dam,that he had their proposals in writing, and that he had refused to becomea party to such an outrage."
"Then why didn't he tell us who the men were?" demanded Gordon.
"Because," was the reply, "he did not think his partners, Mr. HarveyChester and Col. Van Ellis, would go to the extremity proposed. He thoughtthey would change their minds when the enormity of the crime was setbefore them. In fact, he suspected from the first that they were beingurged on by others having private ends to gain by the destruction of thedam. Besides, he thought himself capable of handling the situation alone.Is that true, Mr. Shaw?"
"All true," was the reply, "but I don't see how you found out what was inmy mind," he added, with a laugh.
"It was all very clear to me, in time," was the reply. "Unless I am verymuch mistaken, you, Mr. Shaw, fearful that the enemies of the canal schememight act too quickly, gave the information to the government which led toLieutenant Gordon being put on the case. Is that right?"
"Yes," was the reply, "that is right, but how--"
"All in good time," Ned went on. "Now, the fact that you had warned theofficers of the government became known to your associates in the emeraldbusiness. That is, it became known to the men who were drawing theassociates into this crime. It was then necessary for them to get thepapers they had given to you, the maps and plans of the best points ofattack. The papers mentioned names, and would have convicted every one ofthem of treason."
"Where did you get a glimpse of the papers?" asked Mr. Shaw.
"I have never seen them," was the reply, "but what took place shows whatthey contained. When you left the Isthmus, Pedro, real name Pedrarias, wasinduced by some of the conspirators to go with you as your servant. Hisreal duty in your house was to steal the papers before you turned themover to the government."
"I had no intention of doing that," the editor said.
"But the conspirators did not know that," Ned went on. "Now, while Pedrowent into your employ for the purpose of stealing the papers he also wentfor a purpose of his own. It was his longing to possess the emeraldnecklace--which had long been in his family--that induced him to become aservant, though the large sum of money the conspirators paid him was aconsideration, he being very poor.
"You all know what happened. Pedro did not succeed in getting either thepapers or the necklace. He remained in the house until the others becameanxious and sent three men on to New York to accomplish what Pedro did notseem capable of doing. One of these men was Gaga and one was Itto.
"Working under instructions from his confederates, Pedro let Gaga into thehouse about six o'clock one rainy night. He remained inside so longwithout reporting to those outside that they demanded admittance, andPedro was obliged to let them in. This must have been about nine o'clock.When Itto and the other man entered, they went at their work roughly. Theyassaulted Mr. Shaw and searched his rooms which had already been searchedby Gaga. Then they went upstairs to search Frank's room, and Pedro triedto turn them back.
"He did not trust them, being afraid they would secure the necklace. Bythe way, the chances are that he did not know that Gaga was still in thehouse. Well, when Pedro opposed their passage and Frank ran out, the twofled, finding the night-bolt off at the street door. Then Gaga got thenecklace and got out of the house during the excitement.
"It may be well to say here that Pedro did not leave the house to furtherconspire with the canal plotters. When he found that Gaga had indeedstolen the necklace he went after him. He did not care where the otherswent, or whether they secured the papers or not. It was the second man,the one with Itto, who followed us on board the boat and was named HisNobbs by the boys.
"Pedro went back to Mr. Chester, who had been prominent in locating him inthe Shaw house, and waited for a chance at Gaga. By this time both Mr.Chester and Col. Van Ellis had decided to turn the plotters over to thegovernment and take their chances on arrest, for of course the arrestedmen would accuse them of being at the head of the conspiracy."
"Col. Van Ellis was going to lock us up and see how long we could gowithout food!" Frank exclaimed. "That doesn't look much like the work of acontrite heart!"
"You would not have been starved," Van Ellis replied, with a smile. "Atthat time our friends, the Japs, were watching our every movement, and Mr.Chester and myself agreed to let them play their game a little longer inorder that they might be caught and punished."
"What about the mysterious Jap men you are talking about?" demanded JackBosworth. "I am anxious to know how they tangled these three business menup in the game."
"Is it true," Ned asked of Mr. Shaw, "that Gostel and Itto first proposeddelaying the work on the canal?"
"Yes; they first suggested it."
"They told you of emerald mines under there?"
"Certainly."
"But they never took you to see the mines?"
"No; we took their word for it."
"Well, they lied to you. There are no emerald deposits under the line ofthe canal. Their purpose was to get you involved in a scheme to blow upthe dam, believing that you, by your influence, would be able to ward offsuspicion after the job had been accomplished."
"But why?"
"Because they are cranks. They believed they would be doing their Emperora great favor by destroying the canal. They were insane on the subject.They believed that Japan could never become mistress of the Pacific withthe canal in operatio
n and the fleets of the world passing through it.
"Well, they carried on the plotting, made their bombs, and fought us boys,as you all know. Their plans were progressing satisfactorily, for they didnot know that Mr. Shaw, Mr. Chester, and Col. Van Ellis would have stoppedthem at the risk of their own lives, had they been able to do so, untilthe Japanese government got wind of what was on.
"Then these cranks were warned by the Japanese officials to stop. Insteadof doing so they abducted Lieutenant Gordon and advanced the date of thecrime one night. The abduction was cleverly planned and executed, but Mr.Chester learned of it, and there was a row about it. But there was nosuspicion on the part of Mr. Chester that the job was set for last night,I take it. Is that true?" he asked, turning to Mr. Chester.
"Yes, I was completely deceived, and only that you boys were on guard thedam would have been blown up!"
"I overheard their plans in the stone house," Ned continued. "Mr. Chesterand Col. Van Ellis went there to call the whole thing off, but Gostel andItto lied to them. I heard Gaga admit to Itto that there were no emeraldsunder the canal line. I found there another map of the dam, with markswhere the bombs were to be placed. Then, when I got back to Culebra andfound that Lieutenant Gordon had been abducted, I knew that the job wasset for that night."
"I was sorry you went without me," Mr. Chester said.
"I wanted you here when the end came," Ned replied, "and so sent for you.I wanted you where you could not be accused of complicity in the crime,for I knew that you were innocent. Your only fault was in listening to themen at all."
"Yes, we should have listened to Mr. Shaw instead of the Japs," Mr.Chester admitted, "but it has come out all right. The peril is over. Now,what about the necklace?"
"Gaga carried it with him, lugged it about on his person," Ned said, "andJimmie secured it after his arrest at the stone house. Pedro would nothave been captured if he had not followed Gaga there with the intention ofmurdering him and securing the necklace. Yes, the bauble is in Frank'spossession again!"
"And that closes the case," laughed Mr. Shaw, "and you boys may as well goback to New York with me. The reward for your work, Mr. Nestor, will belarge, and you may as well take a rest. We will leave the prisoners in thehands of the law."
"Wait a moment!" said Col. Hill. "We are in need of a herd of Boy Scouts,just like this one, up in the Philippines. Will you go, boys?"
THE END
* * * * *
The lads were anxious to go, of course, and the story of their adventuresthere will be told in the next book of the series, entitled:
"Boy Scouts in the Philippines; or, the Key to the Treaty Box."
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Motor Boat Boys SeriesBy Louis Arundel
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Peggy Parson's SeriesBy Annabel Sharp
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1. The Aeroplane Boys; or, The Young Pilots First Air Voyage2. The Aeroplane Boys on the Wing; or, Aeroplane Chums in the Tropics3. The Aeroplane Boys Among the Clouds; or, Young Aviators in a Wreck4. The Aeroplane Boys' Flights; or, A Hydroplane Round-up5. The Aeroplane Boys on a Cattle Ranch
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The Girl Aviator SeriesBy Margaret Burnham
Just the type of books that delight and fascinate the wide awake Girls ofthe present day who are between the ages of eight and fourteen years. Thegreat author of these books regards them as the best products of her pen.Printed from large clear type on a superior quality of paper; attractivemulticolor jacket wrapper around each book. Bound in cloth.
1. The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship2. The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings3. The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise4. The Girl Aviators' Motor Butterfly
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