"I have."
"I would like to see it, please."
"Certainly." And Noel Urner brought forth a large flat pocketbook from which he extracted the communication in question.
Paul took it to the light and examined it closely.
"This is a forgery! Uncle Barnaby never wrote it."
"Let me see, Paul," ejaculated Chet.
He also examined the letter with as much care as his brother had displayed. There was not the slightest doubt of it. The letter was not genuine.
"It's certainly a bad state of affairs," said Noel Urner. "It makes the disappearance of your uncle look decidedly bad."
"It looks like foul play!" cried Paul. "Why should Uncle Barnaby leave the hotel in that fashion if all was perfectly straight?"
"It's like as not some mining town rascals got hold of his secret and then put him out of the way, so that they might profit by it," said Chet. "There are plenty of fellows mean enough for that."