n't there a side entrance to this hotel?"

"Yes, ma'am. Round on the other street."

"Take us around to that door. We see somebody waiting here whom we do
not wish to speak with."

"All right, ma'am," agreed the taxicab driver.

In two minutes they were whisked around to the other door, and entered
the hotel thereby. As they passed through the lobby to the elevators
one of the clerks came to Ruth.

"A man has been asking for you, Miss Fielding" he said. "He--he seems a
peculiar individual--"

Ruth described Dakota Joe Fenbrook and the clerk admitted that he was
the man. "A rather rude person," he said.

"So rude that we do not wish to see him," Ruth told the clerk. "Please
keep him away from us. He is annoying, and if he attempts to interfere
with me, I will call a policeman."

"Oh, we could allow nothing like that," the clerk hastened to say. "No
disturbance would be countenanced by the management of the hotel," and
he shook his head. "We will keep him away from you, Miss Fielding."

"Thank you," said Ruth, and followed her friends into the elevator. She
felt that they were free of Dakota Joe until morning at least She
assured Wonota that she need not worry.

"That bad man may hurt you. I am not afraid," declared the Indian girl.
"If I only had him out on the Osage Reservation, I would know what to do
to with him."

But she did not explain what treatment she would accord Dokota Joe if
she were at home.

It was only seven o'clock when Jim Hooley called on the telephone and
told Ruth that, following instructions from Mr. Hammond, he had
gathered the company together and that the special car standing in the
railroad yard outside Chicago would be picked up by the nine-thirty
western bound Continental. The girls had scarcely time to dress and
drive to the point of departure. There was some "scrabbling," as Jennie
expressed it, to dress, get their possessions together, and get away
from the hotel.

"Didn't see Dakota Joe anywhere about, did you?" Helen asked, as their
taxi-cab-left the hotel entrance.

"For goodness' sake! he would not have hung about the hotel all night,
would he?" demanded Jennie.

"Mr. Hammond seems to be afraid of the man" pursued Helen. "Or we would
not be running away like this."

Ruth smiled. "I guess," she said, "that Mr. Hammond is hurrying us on
for a different reason. You must remember that he has this company on
salary and that the longer we delay on the way to the Hubbell Ra