Part 13 (1/2)
”Probably,” began their host, ”you've regarded me as a wealthy man, and, until the last two or three days, as one of leisure I aoods, but most of my life, since I enty, has been passed in storm and stress
”It is not necessary to tell you all about the life that I have led
It will be enough to tell you that, three years ago, not satisfied that h, I went to Brazil in order to learn what chance thereup money fast in that country
”In Brazil there are h perhaps not as ht here at home However, there are fewer fortune-seekers there In coffee, rubber and in gest, wildest, a fields
”Most of the dia has beco basis
There are still, however, some fields not yet located It was a small field, but one which I believe may be worth o See here!”
From an inner pocket Powell Seaton drew forth an ordinary wallet
Opening it, he dropped out on the table six diareat size, all of the stones were of such purity and such flashi+ng brilliancy that the azed at them in fascination
”They must be worth a fortune,” declared Hank butts, in an awed, subdued tone
”Not exactly,” smiled Mr Seaton ”These stones have been appraised, I believe, at about twelve thousand dollars”
After passing the gealow replaced the the latter to the same pocket before he resumed:
”This new diamond field, a patent to which has not yet been filed with the Brazilian Govern anyone that, as Vahia is a state of great area It is in a section little likely to be suspected as a diamond field, and the chance that someone else will accidentally discover and locate it is not large”
”Yet you know the exact location--can go right to it?” breathed Tom Halstead, his eyes turned squarely on Mr Seaton's
”Yes, but I don't dare go to it,” ca answer
”Oh! May I ask why not, sir?”
”The Government of Brazil is, in the main, an honest one,” replied Powell Seaton ”The President of that country is an exactly just and honorable overnovernor of Vahia, Terrero, by name, is probably one of the worst little despots in South America
”Now, as it happened, before I ca about this new diamond field I had the bad fortune to make an ene shaovernor, and I felt called upon to become mixed up in the affair I even went so far that I incurred the deadly hatred of Terrero It was right after this that I came uponupon me, and I had to flee froly
”Do you kno things are done in South America?” demanded Powell Seaton, impressively ”If a man like Terrero hates you, he has only to inspire soe may be wholly false, of course, but officers and soldiers are sent, in the dead of the night, to arrest you These wretches, when they serve wicked enough officials, shoot you down in cold blood Then they lay beside your body a revolver in which are two or three discharged cartridges They report, officially, that you resisted arrest and did your best to kill theparty This infamous lie all becomes a matter of official record Then what can the United States Governovernor, or other rascally official, has triuh an honest man, Halstead, you are officially a desperate character who _had_ to be killed by the law's servants It was such a fate that Terrero was preparing for ns”
”That must be a nice country!” murmured Hank butts
”Yet you say the President of Brazil is an honorable overnor?”
”The President would, in a moment, if he could be supplied with proofs,” rejoined Powell Seaton, with emphasis ”Governor Terrero is a wily, smooth scoundrel who is well served by men of his own choice stamp Terrero is wealthy, and backed byrich in the diah they are wonderfully s are terrors to all honest diamond men in that one part of Brazil”
”So, then,” hinted Captain Tom, ”you knohere to find one of the rich diao to it?”
”I'd dare,” retorted Mr Seaton, his eyes flashi+ng ”But ould be the use of daring? I am almost certain to be killed if I ever show my face in Vahia while Terrero is alive So, then, this is what I have done: Since , ever so quietly, with moneyed men who have faith inwe have arranged a syndicate that is backed by ood deal of h We may even have to try to turn Terrero's ainst him We won't, if we can help it, but wethis business over to the syndicate I aht have been reat enterprise Yet, even as it is, I stand to reap rich returns if ever the syndicate can locate and secure the patent to the diamond fields that I discovered
”At this moment three me, solid American men of moneyed affairs As far as they permit to be known, they are in Brazil only as athe arrival of Albert Clodis on the 'Constant' When he had arrived, with the papers fro where and how to locate the dia plenty ofa patent to the fields Under the law the Brazilian Governe share of the find in precious stones, but even at that our share would have been enormous Once the patent to the diamond field was filed, the President and the whole National Government of that country could be depended upon to protect the owner's rights, even against the greed and treachery of Terrero So all that appeared to be left to do was to get to my friends of the syndicate the two sets of papers that would enable them to locate the unknown dia by itself, but with the two sets the field can be proht was to send the two sets of papers by two different e as it may appear to you boys, I could not decide upon two men whom I felt I could fully trust under all circumstances