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.”