CHAPTER IV
"UNDENIABLE FACT"
Before the boys could reach the entrance, the door was opened. A very big man, with a very red complexion and prominent features, stood surveying the group, his face wreathed in smiles.
"Good-afternoon, young gentlemen!" he exclaimed, in a hearty voice. "Step right in—a warm room and nice, comfortable chairs ready for you."
"Can we get something to eat now?" asked Dave, with a touch of apprehension in his voice.
"All you want, sir—an undeniable fact," replied the hotel keeper; "of the best, too—nice, hot coffee, roast beef, potatoes,—an' what would you say to a few buckwheat cakes, with maple syrup?"
"Um—um—ah—but don't say a few," remarked Dave.
"An undeniable fact that they are just the thing for a cold day like this. Put your guns in the corner, boys. Mom!"
Mr. Hiram Sladder's stentorian voice soon brought a response. A pleasant-looking woman bustled into the room.