CHAPTER XVI
A PLOT AGAINST THE ROVERS
That afternoon the four Rover boys visited a number of points of interest in Chicago and even took a run out to the famous stock yards, Hans Mueller having given them a card to an official located there. Through this man they were enabled to see many interesting details of how large quantities of meat are prepared for consumption.
“It’s all right enough,” remarked Andy when they were returning to the delicatessen dealer’s apartment. “But, just the same, excuse me from working in or around any stock yard.”
“The same here,” answered Fred readily. “If they had to depend on me to kill their cattle or dress it, I am sure we would have to go without meat.”
That evening the boys learned that Tom Rover had had an interesting session with one of the stockholders in the Rolling Thunder mine. He was to meet another one of the owners on the following morning.
“I can’t say that things look very good,” said the twins’ father, in reply to a question from Jack. “There’s a crowd at the mine that is evidently bent on pushing some of the stockholders, including myself, to the wall.”
“But how can they do that, Uncle Tom?” questioned Jack.
“They’ve been depressing the value of the stock on the market as much as possible,” answered his Uncle Tom. “Now they have virtually got control of the actual working of the mine and are doing things out at Gold Hill Falls to suit themselves. I think it is high time that I got on the ground to protect my rights.”
“Dat’s de vay to do it,” came from Hans Mueller. “It’s all right enough to write letters and talk by de telephone over to a man, but if you want to do real pusiness go and talk mit him face by face.”
Hans Mueller was quite anxious that all of the Rovers should see the factory, or works, which he ran in connection with his chain of delicatessen stores. Tom could not spare the time to go, but the boys were willing, and so set off on the following morning early.
The works was one where Hans Mueller turned out his sauerkraut, pickles, and numerous table delicacies. Here they handled many hundreds of pounds of frankfurters, bolognas, and numerous kinds of smoked and salted fish and meats.
“Mine sauerkraut has taken already six brizes,” said the delicatessen dealer proudly. “And nobody in all Chicago has any better hot dogs, as you call ’em, dan I carry. And den mine cheeses! Why, I import cheeses from all over de world! I can show you cheeses what you never even heard de name of,” he went on earnestly.
“And I’ll bet the smell of some of them would knock a house down,” added Andy.
“Vell, a smell is already something what you got to get used to,” answered Hans Mueller philosophically.
The lads had lunch with the delicatessen dealer at a cafeteria restaurant run in connection with his largest store. They had chicken salad and tongue sandwiches, along with “home-made” apple pie, all of which the boys relished keenly.
“It’s as good a lunch as a fellow could get at a leading hotel,” declared Jack to their host. “No wonder your stores are a big success, Uncle Hans.”
“Vell, I tries to give de bublic der money’s worth,” was the reply.
After lunch Hans Mueller had to go off to visit some of his other stores, and the boys started out on another inspection of the big city by the lakes.
“It’s a good deal like New York, only somewhat different,” said Andy.
“That certainly is a queer way to put it,” returned Fred, with a grin. “How can it be the same if it’s different?”
“Oh, well, it’s like a ball game I saw some time ago,” said Andy dryly. “It was nine to nine in the first inning, and only three to five in the last inning.”
“Nine to nine in the first inning and three to five in the last!” cried Fred in perplexity. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, it was this way: There were nine players on each side in the first inning, and they started——” And thereupon Andy dodged quickly behind a signboard as Fred made as if to attack him while the others laughed.
The four boys were walking along in the vicinity of the Union Station when they saw somebody coming toward them. It was the young man they had met while going for railroad tickets in New York.
“Well, of all things!” cried Joe Brooks, smiling. “You said you were coming to Chicago, but I certainly didn’t expect to fall in with you again.”
“Did you just get in?” questioned Fred.
“Got in a few hours ago. How are you enjoying yourselves in the Windy City?”
“Oh, we’re getting along all right enough,” answered Jack. “We have been around town quite a bit, and also out to the stock yards.”
“You aren’t staying in Chicago very long, I take it,” went on Joe Brooks.
“We’ll leave to-morrow morning,” answered Randy.
Thereupon Joe Brooks started to tell them a somewhat lengthy story of what had brought him to Chicago. He said that he was traveling for a crockery house and hoped to catch one of his customers that afternoon.
“It’s a rich concern and I’m hoping to land a big order, but I’ve got to wait till five o’clock before I can see my man,” he went on. “So I’ve got quite a little time on my hands. What are you fellows doing? I might go along if you don’t mind,” and he smiled genially.
“We’re not doing much of anything,” answered Jack politely.
“Want me to show you around a little? I’ll be glad to do it. I’d do almost anything for friends of Fatty Hendry. He and his relatives have always treated me fine.”
Joe Brooks was a slick talker and before long he was walking with the four Rover boys, pointing out various places of interest and also pointing out different people as they passed either on foot or in automobiles.
“There’s the mayor of this burg,” he declared as an auto flashed past. “Great fellow he is, too. I had the pleasure of meeting him once when I was here at a trade dinner. And that man walking on the other side of the street over there is at the head of the schools here. A great man. I understand he has made a small fortune out of spelling books.”
“Is that so?” answered Andy. “Well, I don’t think I’ll ever make a fortune out of spelling books,” and he grinned.
In the most casual manner possible Joe Brooks drew the boys out until he got many of the particulars from them concerning their proposed trip to Gold Hill Falls and Sunset Trail. Now that they were so far on their trip, they did not consider it necessary to be as secretive about it as before. Never for one minute did they suspect that this young man knew Carson Davenport or had anything to do with that scoundrel.
“You fellows ought to have the time of your lives out there around Maporah,” said Brooks. “Gee, I wish I could go along! I’m sure it would beat selling crockery all to pieces.”
“I certainly hope to have a splendid outing,” answered Jack.
“Well, I guess you have earned it. It’s hard work to graduate from any school, and I suppose your studies were pretty stiff at that military academy you and Fatty attended.”
“They were certainly stiff enough,” answered Randy.
“Going to be out there long?”
“A month at least, and maybe six or seven weeks,” answered Fred. “We hope to have some good fishing, and maybe a little hunting too.”
At half past four Joe Brooks excused himself, stating that he would have to hunt up his customer before the man had a chance to get away from him. He shook hands all around and again wished the Rovers the best of luck.
“He’s a pretty good sort, seems to me,” said Fred.
“He certainly acted nice enough,” answered Andy.
“That’s what he did,” added his twin.
Jack said nothing. For some reason he could not fathom, the strange young man had not altogether appealed to him. Yet, what there was about Joe Brooks he did not like was something he could not put into words.
Less than half an hour after Joe Brooks had left the Rover boys he entered a hotel in one of the shabby sections of Chicago. Here he fell in with Carson Davenport and a few minutes later the pair were joined by two other men.
“Well, did you find out anything more?” questioned the man from the oil fields.
“I think I’ve found out everything we want to know,” answered Joe Brooks.
“Then you found out where they’re stopping?”
“Didn’t have to. I ran right into the four boys on the street.”
“Well, you certainly were lucky!”
“I hung around the station for three hours before that,” answered Brooks. “At first I thought I’d call up the leading hotels by telephone; but I was afraid that might look suspicious. So then I thought I’d go out and take a look around. I didn’t expect to see them, and I only thought I could fill in time until to-morrow morning, when they were to take that train for which they bought accommodations in New York. I thought maybe I could have a chance to talk to them before they left and get a few particulars. But now I think I’ve got everything we need.”
“Let’s go upstairs and talk it over,” said Carson Davenport. “No use of letting anybody else in on this. There are too many open ears around down here.”
Thereupon the four men took a rickety elevator to the fourth floor of the hotel. They entered one of the rooms they had engaged and all sat down to hear what Brooks had to say.
“They’re going straight to Maporah first,” said the young man. “From there they are to take horses to Gold Hill Falls. After that the boys expect to have a good time on Sunset Trail. They did not know exactly where they would stay, but thought it would be in some place engaged by a miner named Lew Billings.”
“Lew Billings!” exclaimed one of the other men. “I know him, all right enough!”
“He’s one of the foremen at the Rolling Thunder mine, isn’t he, Tate?” questioned Davenport.
“Yes,” answered Tate.
“We know all about Sunset Trail,” put in the other man of the party. “Tate and I have gone over it many a time.”
“Well, that ought to help a whole lot, Jackson,” returned Davenport, with satisfaction. “It’s just the place to put through a deal like we have in mind, isn’t it?”
“Sure thing!” answered Jackson. “Couldn’t be better. Let us once lay our hands on those kids, and I’ll defy anybody to get ’em away from us.”
“The main thing is to keep out of their sight until our trap is sprung,” went on Carson Davenport. “We mustn’t let them know what we’re doing. But once let me get my hands on those boys, and I’ll guarantee that I’ll make their fathers pony up good and plenty,” he added, his eyes gleaming wickedly.