"Yes, my last word. I want you to clear out and leave us alone."
"Huh! I guess you can't keep me away from games!" sneered Shalleg. "This is a free country."
"Well, you keep away from my club," warned Mr. Watson, with great firmness. "I wouldn't have you as a bat-tender."
The flushed and ill-favored face of Shalleg grew more red, if that were possible, and he growled:
"Oh, don't let that worry you. Some day you may be glad to send for me to help pull your old club out of the cellar. Someone has been talking about me, that's the trouble; and if I find out who it is I'll make 'em sweat for it!" and he glared at Joe, who was too amazed at the strange turn of affairs to speak.
Then the two cronies turned and started out of the hotel lobby. But Rad was not going to be foiled so easily. He slipped over to the clerk and whispered:
"Say, that's the fellow who jumped his board bill, you know," and he nodded at Wessel.
"Yes, I know," the clerk replied. "He just came in to settle. He apologized, and said he had to leave in a hurry," and the clerk winked his eye to show how much belief he placed in the story.
"Hum!" mused Rad. "That's rather queer. He must have wanted to square matters up so he could come back to town safely."
"Looks so," returned the clerk.