Part 14 (1/2)
By this time the owner of the hotel had heard of the excitement, and he came bustling in.
”See here,” he said to Sladen, ”you can't use this hotel for an employment office. If you want to hire help, you have got to do it on the outside.”
”I don't want help!” stormed the traveling man.
”These men say you sent for them.”
”Maybe he wants them to try some of his horse remedies,” suggested a man who did not like Sladen. ”If so, I advise them not to take the job.” And a general laugh arose at the sally.
”You have got to get out of here,” said the hotel man, speaking to the negroes. ”And you must go, too,” he added to the traveling man.
”Me?”
”Yes, you. You have made trouble enough around here. After this, when you come to town, you can go to some other hotel.”
”This is an outrage!”
”We want a job, or some money!” bawled two of the colored men. And they rushed at Sladen and began to shake him violently. He pushed them away and started for the door. They went after him, and in the hallway he got into a free fight and almost had his coat torn from his back.
”I'll get even with somebody for this!” he almost foamed. ”If I find out who played this joke on me--”
”Go on, and do your talking outside,” interrupted the hotel proprietor, and then the disgruntled traveling man had to leave, with the angry mob of colored men following him. He was so pestered by the latter that he had to take a train out of town the very next morning.
”That was piling it on pretty thick, Tom,” said d.i.c.k, after the excitement was over.
”He deserved it, d.i.c.k. I made some inquiries around the hotel, and not a single person liked him. He was the torment of all the hired help, and was keeping them in hot water continually.”
”Well, if he finds you out, he'll make it warm for you.”
”I intend to keep mum,” answered the fun-loving Rover, and he did keep mum. It may be added here that he never met Sladen again.
CHAPTER IX
HANS AS A POET
d.i.c.k was down in the stable attached to the hotel on the following morning, when a man came in and approached him. He was the same individual who had drawn near when the eldest Rover was talking to the government detective.
”Getting ready to leave, stranger?” he said in a pleasant tone.
”Yes, we are going to start right after breakfast.”
”Bound for the Denton plantation, so I hear?”
”Yes. Do you know Mr. Denton?”
”I met him once or twice--when he was in business in Braxbury. A nice man, so I understand.”
”Yes, he is a very nice man.”
”It might be that you are related to him?”