The Rover Boys on the Plains; Or, The Mystery of Red Rock Ranch

d when they procured supper at the hotel they cle

tes," observed a sour-looking indivi

red the fun-loving youth. "W

E

g with our internal machinery, whereby we mig

few at the table snickered, the man

t you poke fun

sir," said Tom, unruffled. "

heart's a

a donkey who had his heart on the wrong

mean to call me a-er-a donkey?"

sir! What put such a

u s

did. G

u s

said b

u s

, and I said, so I did. It's perfectly

a matter of fact, the sour-looking man was not liked in that loc

ess!" stormed the man. "I am not a

said Tom calmly. "Now, there won't b

insul

am not looki

E

asn't looki

you mean

for the correct solution. Answers must be sent in on one side of the pape

le laughed outright. The sour-looking

her time, young man!" he roa

rather warm for hi

to find fault with ou

our meals, and I am goin

laden is very disagreeable to us all and makes himself especially obnoxio

fairly, or I'll give him as

overs and their chums. This set Tom to thinking, and he asked one of the

," was the answer. "He sell

ain to work to play some joke on the

place under the impression that a certain planter was going to give them work at big w

owing note and got it to one of t

f you had better go up to him on the sly and tell him you are ready to work, and ask for a dollar in advance-that's t

negro read it and passed it to his friends. All were mystified, but the

of the hotel smoking a cheap cigar, whe

n," he said in his lou

n tiptoes and, putting his mouth

k, sah. Hadn't yo' betta

demanded the

his words in a sl

rk for me!" cried the s

t o

ght, sah. I c

't wan

an' ober dat dollah, sah? It w

azy!" cried the

en were coming in. Both approach

ork fo' you, sah," sai

dat do

roared the irate man. "Get away

more three others entered. Soon the reading-room

o work fo' you

ust?" bawled one bi

o me!" put in the man wh

led out a third. "Ain'

by th

n they completely surrounded the travelin

dollah!" call

n' yo' has got t

ng us to dis t

while the rest of the guests looked on in amazement. Tom and

all that is coming t

d like a bumbles b

icer!" came frantically from the travel

s the chorus. "Gi

hotel had heard of the excit

s hotel for an employment office. If you want to

elp!" stormed t

say you sen

gested a man who did not like Sladen. "If so, I advise them

hotel man, speaking to the negroes. "And you

M

around here. After this, when you come t

s an ou

began to shake him violently. He pushed them away and started for the door. They went after

this!" he almost foamed. "If I fi

runtled traveling man had to leave, with the angry mob of colored men following him. He w

y thick, Tom," said Dick, af

and not a single person liked him. He was the torment of all

you out, he'll ma

oving Rover, and he did keep mum. It may b