“What concerns me most at the moment is where we are to eat,” spoke up Nora Wingate.
“I was about to ask the same question,” nodded Stacy Brown, more familiarly known to his companions as “Chunky,” whose appetite had never been known to be fully appeased.
“There is a hotel sign just across the way,” volunteered Miss Briggs.
“It takes more than a sign to make a hotel,” observed Grace laughingly. “That is especially true in this far western country, as we Riders have had ample evidence.”
“Let’s go! No food is worse than poor food,” urged Stacy.
“Yes. Let’s do,” agreed Emma.
“No breakfast until we have unloaded and fed the ponies,” called Hippy Wingate. “The animals need more attention than we do. Come along.”
“They don’t need it so much as this animal does,” declared Chunky.
“Feed the ponies; then we will think of food for ourselves,” was Hippy’s reply. “Tom, what about the guide?”
“I’ll find out.” Stepping over to the station agent, who was busy with a pile of trunks that had been unloaded from the Limited, Tom asked: “Do you know where we may find Jake Coville?” The agent, before replying, surveyed Tom from head to foot.