“Ain’t you going to do it alone?” queried Nick Sammel, in wonder, not unmingled with a suspicion that Joe would not be as easy to handle as anticipated.

“I—­I’ve got a—­a heartburn,” came lamely from Sagger.  “It come on me all at onct.  If it wasn’t fer that I’d do him up all alone.”

“You’re a fraud, and you haven’t any heart-burn!” cried Joe.  “You’re afraid, that’s all.  If you want to fight, stand up, and we’ll have it out.”

“Don’t you call me afraid,” said Sagger, but his voice had lost much of its bullying tone.

“You’re a big coward, Jack Sagger.  After this I want you to leave me alone.”

“Ain’t you fellers going to pitch in?” demanded Sagger, turning to his cohorts.

“The first boy to hit me will get paid back with interest,” said Joe, sharply.  “I don’t like to fight but I can do it if I have to.”

One or two had edged forward but when they saw his determined air they slunk back.

“Go on and fight him, Jack,” said one.  “This is your mix-up, not ours.”

“You said you was going to do him up brown,” put in another.

“Ain’t I got the heartburn?” blustered the bully.  “I can’t do nuthin’ when I git that.  Wait till I’m well; then I’ll show him.”

“If you ever touch me again, Jack Sagger, I’ll give you the worst thrashing you ever had,” said Joe, loudly.  “Remember, I am not the least bit afraid of you.  The best thing you can do is to keep your distance.”

“Humph!”

“I don’t want to quarrel with anybody, but I am always ready to stick up for my rights, just you remember that.”

So speaking Joe backed out of the crowd, that opened to let him pass.  Several of the boys wanted to detain him, but not one had the courage to do so.  As soon as he was clear of his tormentors, he hurried back to the hotel.

“How did you make out?” asked Mr. Drew.

“It’s all right, sir, and they’ll send the things to-night, sure,” answered Joe.  He hesitated for a moment.  “I had a little excitement on the way.”

“How was that?”

“Jack Sagger and some other boys followed me up and wanted to polish me off.”

“You don’t look as if they had done much polishing.”  And the hotel man smiled.

“No, Jack Sagger got the worst of it.  I guess he’ll leave me alone in the future.”

“You mustn’t fight around the hotel, Joe.”

“This was on the way to Jackson & Bell’s, sir.  I was bound to defend myself.”

“To be sure.  Sagger came to me yesterday and wanted to be taken back, but I told him no—­that I wouldn’t have such an impudent fellow around.”

As the winter season came on the hotel began to fill up and Joe was kept busy from early in the morning until late at night, and so was Frank Randolph.  The two boys were firm friends, and on Sunday went to Sunday School together and also to church, when their hotel duties permitted of it.