“Count me in and make it three!” shouted Hank, the former bully, who was now the battleship boys’ firm friend. In fact, all their chums rejoiced with them.
And now my story is almost at an end. The Georgetown reached New York in time to take part in a grand naval pageant on the Hudson River. There she was anchored along with other sea-fighters, submarines and torpedo boats, and received many visitors. She was an object of great interest, because her part in the recent South American revolution was known through published accounts.
And best of all, one day Mr. Arden came on board. He was a well-known man from the moment he announced himself, and the captain entertained him in his cabin. Thither Frank and Ned went and there clasped hands with their father’s brother, who had endured so much wrongfully, but who had been freed largely through the hard work and the good luck of the two battleship boys. For, after all, luck had played a big part in the affair.
“And is everything all right, Uncle Phil?” asked Frank.
“Everything,” was the answer. “As soon as the authorities received those papers from the tin box they released me. I knew I was innocent, but it was hard to get proof. The papers were the very documents needed.
“I had no idea this Bernardo was such a scoundrel, or I would never have done business with him. However, all’s well that ends well. And I cannot complain of my treatment by the federal authorities. But I was worried for a time, not only about myself, but about you boys.”
“Oh, we made out all right,” boasted Ned.
“So I hear,” laughed his uncle. “Besides saving me you covered yourselves with glory.”
“We didn’t think so the time we let those pickpockets rob us,” remarked Frank. “We felt like a couple of very foolish lads then.”
“Did you ever hear anything of those rascals?” questioned the uncle, with interest.