"No," answered Jack shortly. He did not like the appearance of the man in the least.
"Want to see him particularly?"
"I want to give him a good thrashing—that's what I want to do!" exclaimed Jack. "And after that I might turn him over to the police, if there is any such thing in this town."
"We haven't any police here. We run things to suit ourselves."
"What do you want to lick him for?" questioned the other man.
"He threw pepper in my eyes once, and he's done a lot of other things he oughtn't to have done," returned Jack, and then turned back to the hotel, and his cousins followed.
"Those two men were on the hotel veranda when we first went there," said Randy. "I noticed them, and I did not like their looks at all."
"Do you know what I think?" returned Jack. "I believe Gabe Werner was in that shack all the time. I think he must have seen us coming and given those fellows the tip. They both tried to appear cool, but they were both flustered."
"But what can Gabe Werner be doing in this out-of-the-way place?" demanded Fred.
"He probably came here, Fred, just for the excitement. Hundreds of young fellows have drifted to the oil fields just as years ago they drifted to the gold fields. They gamble in oil stocks and do what they can, trying to strike it rich. It's a great temptation to any fellow who hasn't a well-paying job at home."