CHAPTER XIII
DAKOTA JOE MAKES A DEMAND
At first Ruth and her friends did not worry about the presence ofFenbrook and his Wild West Show in Chicago.
"Just riding past the billboard of the show isn't going to hurt us,"chuckled Jennie Stone.
It was a fact soon proved, however, that the Westerner had made it hisbusiness in some way to keep track of the movements of Wonota and herfriends. He made this known to them in a most unexpected way, Mr.Hammond called Ruth up at her hotel.
"I must warn you, Miss Fielding" he said, "that I had a very unpleasantmeeting with that man, Fenbrook, only an hour ago. He actually had theeffrontery to look me up here in Wabash Avenue where I am staying withmy family, and practically demanded that I help finance his miserableshow because I had taken Wonota from him. He claims now she was hischief attraction, though he would not admit that she was worth a livingwage when he had her under contract He was so excited and threateningthat I called an officer and had him put out of the house."
"Oh!" murmured Ruth. "Then he is in jail? He will not trouble us, then?"
"He is not in jail. I made no complaint. Just warned him to keep awayfrom here. But he said something about finding Wonota and makingtrouble."
"I am sure, Mr. Hammond," said Ruth with no little anxiety, "that we hadbetter leave Chicago, then, as soon as possible. And if he comes here tothe hotel I will try to have him arrested and kept by the police. I amafraid of him.
"I do not believe he will do anything very desperate--"
"I am not so sure," Ruth interrupted. "Wonota is confident it was he whoran me down in New York. I am afraid of him," she repeated.
"Well, I will arrange for the shortening of our stay here. Mr. Hooleywill 'phone you the time we will leave--probably to-morrow morning veryearly."
Ruth said nothing to the other three girls--why trouble them with a merepossibility?--and they went to the theatre that evening and enjoyed theplay immensely. But getting out of the taxicab at the hotel door nearmidnight, Wonota, who was the first to step out, suddenly crowded backinto Ruth Fielding's arms as the latter attempted to follow her to thesidewalk.
"What is the matter, Wonota?" the girl of the Red Mill asked.
"There he is!" murmured the Indian girl, drawing herself up.
"There who is?" was Ruth's demand. Then she saw the object of Wonota'sanxiety, Dakota Joe stood under the portico of the hotel entrance. "He'swaiting for us!" hissed Ruth. "Stop, girls! Don't get out."
Helen and Jennie, over the heads of the others, saw the man. Jennie wasirrepressible of course.
"What do you expect us to do? Ride around all night in this taxi?"
"Call a policeman!" cried Helen, under her breath.
"Come back in here, Wonota," commanded Ruth, making up her mind with herusual assurance. "Say nothing, girls." Then to the driver Ruth observed:"Isn'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 donot wish to speak with."
"All right, ma'am," agreed the taxicab driver.
In two minutes they were whisked around to the other door, and enteredthe hotel thereby. As they passed through the lobby to the elevatorsone of the clerks came to Ruth.
"A man has been asking for you, Miss Fielding" he said. "He--he seems apeculiar individual--"
Ruth described Dakota Joe Fenbrook and the clerk admitted that he wasthe man. "A rather rude person," he said.
"So rude that we do not wish to see him," Ruth told the clerk. "Pleasekeep him away from us. He is annoying, and if he attempts to interferewith me, I will call a policeman."
"Oh, we could allow nothing like that," the clerk hastened to say. "Nodisturbance would be countenanced by the management of the hotel," andhe shook his head. "We will keep him away from you, Miss Fielding."
"Thank you," said Ruth, and followed her friends into the elevator. Shefelt that they were free of Dakota Joe until morning at least Sheassured 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 doto with him."
But she did not explain what treatment she would accord Dokota Joe ifshe were at home.
It was only seven o'clock when Jim Hooley called on the telephone andtold Ruth that, following instructions from Mr. Hammond, he hadgathered the company together and that the special car standing in therailroad yard outside Chicago would be picked up by the nine-thirtywestern bound Continental. The girls had scarcely time to dress anddrive to the point of departure. There was some "scrabbling," as Jennieexpressed it, to dress, get their possessions together, and get awayfrom the hotel.
"Didn't see Dakota Joe anywhere about, did you?" Helen asked, as theirtaxi-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 wouldnot be running away like this."
Ruth smiled. "I guess," she said, "that Mr. Hammond is hurrying us onfor a different reason. You must remember that he has this company onsalary and that the longer we delay on the way to the Hubbell Ranch themore money it is costing him while the company is idle."
It was proved, however, that the picture producer had a good reason forwishing to get out of Dakota Joe's neighborhood. When the four girls inthe taxicab rolled up to the gate of the railroad yard and got out withtheir bags, Dakota Joe himself popped out of hiding. With him abroad-hatted man in a blue suit.
"Hey!" ejaculated the showman, standing directly in Ruth's path. "I gotyou now where I want you. That Hammond man won't help me, and I told himthe trouble I'm in jest because he got that Injun gal away from me. Isee her! That's the gal--"
"What do you want of me, Mr. Fenbrook?" demanded Ruth, bravely, andgesturing Wonota to remain behind her. "I have no idea why you shouldhound me in this way."
"I ain't houndin' you."
"I should like to know what you call it then!" the girl of the Red Milldemanded indignantly.
She was quick to grasp the chance of engaging Fenbrook in an argumentthat would enable Wonota and the two other girls to slip out of theother door of the taxicab and reach the yard gate. She flashed a lookover her shoulder that Helen Cameron understood. She and Jennie andWonota alighted from the other side of the cab.
"I got an officer here," stammered Dakota Joe. "He's a marshal. ThatInjun gal's got to be taken before the United States District Court.She's got to show cause why she shouldn't come back to my show and fillout the time of her contract."
"She finished her contract with you, and you know it, Fenbrook,"declared Ruth, turning to pay the driver of the cab.
"I say she didn't!" cried Dakota Joe. "Officer! You serve thatwarrant--Hey! where's that Wonota gone to?"
The Indian girl and Ruth's friends had disappeared. Dakota Joe lungedfor the gate. But since the beginning of the war this particularrailroad yard had been closed to the public. A man stood at the gate whobarred the entrance of the showman.
"You don't come in here, brother," said the railroad man. "Not unlessyou've got a pass or a permit."
"Hey!" shouted Dakota Joe, calling the marshal. "Show this guy yourwarrant."
"Don't show me nothin'," rejoined the railroad employee. He let Ruthslip through and whispered: "Your party's aboard your car. There's aswitcher coupled on. She'll scoot you all down the yard to the mainline. Get aboard."
Ruth slipped through the gate, while the guard stood in a position toprevent the two men from approaching it. The girl heard the gate closebehind her.
It was evident that Mr. Hammond had been apprised of Dakota Joe'sattempt to bring the Indian girl into court. Of course, the judge woulddeny his appeal; but a court session would delay the party's journeywestward.
Ruth saw the other girls ahead of her, and she ran to the car. Mr.Hammond himsel
f was on the platform to welcome them.
"That fellow is a most awful nuisance. I had to make an arrangement withthe railroad company to get us out of here at once. Luckily I have afriend high up among the officials of the company. Come aboard, MissRuth. Everybody else is here and we are about to start."
Ruth Fielding in the Great Northwest; Or, The Indian Girl Star of the Movies Page 13