“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’s anxiety, Dakota Joe stood under the portico of the hotel entrance.  “He’s waiting for us!” hissed Ruth.  “Stop, girls!  Don’t get out.”

Helen and Jennie, over the heads of the others, saw the man.  Jennie was irrepressible 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 her usual 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 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.