and I took it."

"Fine! Wonderful!" exclaimed Papa Wolf.

"So I thought," said Ernest dryly, "but Roger and the others here
thought differently. In fact when Roger found out about Werner, he tried
to kill me, and then went away into the mountains with Peter for three
days."

"Oh, Ernie! Oh, Roger!" moaned Mamma Wolf.

Papa Wolf's lips tightened. "But why, Roger?" he demanded.

"Wait, Roger! I'm telling the story. Rog tried to kill me for selling
out secretly the idea that was bone of his bone. He tried to kill me
because I sold it to a government that has gone through Belgium like a
Hunnish horde, and because I claimed to admire it for that. Well, he
didn't kill me and I was very sore and decided to go to Germany to live.
Then Werner came down to settle details with Roger, and Roger told him
what was in the black box and made him give back the contract."

"The black box! What black box?" asked Dean Erskine.

"The Von Mindens' black box. When I brought back word that Werner wanted
it, Roger and Charley read the contents. It developed that Von Minden
was one of a group working for the German government with the idea of
making Arizona and New Mexico into German colonies. Gustav--you remember
my writing of Gustav--was Werner's spy, keeping Werner informed of our
every move and what he could about Von Minden."

"I don't believe a word of it! Not a word! It's all British influence,"
exclaimed Papa Wolf stoutly.

"You'll have to believe it, because it's true," returned Ernest. "Roger
was angry and threw Werner and Gustav out of the camp and made me choose
between him and Werner. I chose Roger, because the time had come in my
life when I'd got to make a tremendous decision. It's one you've got to
make, Papa, and so has the Dean. I wanted you to make it my way. That's
why I got you down here to see the things that I'd been up against."

"You don't intend to ask us to break our neutrality, surely, Ernest,"
protested Dean Erskine.

"I'll develop your job in just a moment, Dean. Papa, what I want is that
you repudiate Werner and all his works, and undertake to finance Roger's
project."

"My heavens, Ern!" cried Roger.

"Tut! Tut! Rog--you be quiet. Dean, your job is to sell the Plant to my
father, after you've both made your decision."

"I cannot understand your talking to me in this manner, Ernest,"
shouted Papa Wolf, pounding on the table till the belated breakfast
dishes rattled.

"I'll explain," said Ernest,