“They may file their protests as soon as they please,” said Dick quietly. “Those Indians are friends of mine.”
“Aw, really, you ought to be ashamed to make such an acknowledgement. If circumstances of any sort made it necessary for me to know such characters, I’d certainly do my best to hide the fact from the general public. I’d never acknowledge that I was friendly with an Indian, never.”
“Don’t worry,” returned Dick; “you would never have the chance, for I don’t know an Indian who would care to be friendly with you. Look here, Mr. Ling, you’re poking your nose into a crack where it’s liable to get pinched.”
“Or twisted,” growled Buckhart. “Back up, Ling. Chase yourself, before somebody is tempted to put their paws on you and toss you over the rail.”
“Such insolence!” sniffed Ling. “I don’t understand how such cheap, common people ever could find accommodations here.”
“Judging by appearances, your understanding is very limited,” said Merriwell. “Really, I think it is dangerous for you to strain your meagre intellect to understand things beyond your narrow scope.”
“Now, say, that’s insulting--actually insulting! I shall hold myself in restraint, however. In behalf of the ladies and gentlemen who were offended, I protest again against a repetition of your recent behavior.”
“Go away and play with your dolls,” begged Tucker. “If you annoy people, somebody will give you a spanking.”
“How dare you talk to me like that, you little----”
“Cut it out, Ting-a-ling-ling,” he interrupted, “or I’ll hand you the spanking myself, and I’ll guarantee that I can do the job to the queen’s taste.”
“Sic him, Tommy,” gurgled Bigelow delightedly. “For once in my life I’ll bet on you.”
“It’s evident,” he spluttered, “that you’re a set of young ruffians. I shall inform the management what I think of you.”
“If you try to think too hard you may get a pain in that upper story vacuum of yours.”
Ling retired, still muttering, and reported to the watching guests, some of whom seemed amused, while others betrayed sympathetic indignation. Neither Dick nor his friends, however, gave any one of them further attention.
“I’ll have to get suits for the bunch,” said Merriwell. “Brad, Tommy, and I have ours, which we brought along with us on the tour. I’ll find Loring and see if he can fit the rest of the crowd out with uniforms.”