tal invective being
poured through the walls of the building might have withered almost
anything extant. But Goldite whisky had failed on his besiegers
earlier and their vitals were proof against attack.

Van arrived among them abruptly.

"What's all this pillow-fight about?" he demanded in a voice that all
could hear. "Which one of you fellows is it that's forgotten he's a
man? Who's looking for trouble with my Chinese cook and Mrs. Dick?"

He boded no good to any man sufficiently hardy to argue the matter to a
finish. The attackers lost heart as they faced about and found him
there ready for action. From a half-open window above the scene Beth
was watching all that was done.

A spokesman for the lodgers found his voice.

"Well, we ain't a-goin' to stay in no doggone house with a chink shoved
in fer a cook."

Van nodded: "Have you ever tried Algy's cooking?"

"No, we ain't! And we ain't a-goin' to, neither!"

The others murmured their assent.

"You're a fine discriminating cluster of bifurcated, viviparous
idiots," said Van in visibly disturbing scorn. "You fellows would have
to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and kicked into Eden, I reckon,
even if the snake was killed and flung over the fence, and the fruit
offered up on silver platters. The man who hasn't eaten one of Algy's
dinners isn't fit to live. The man who refuses to eat one better begin
right now on his prayers." He took out his gun and waved it loosely
about, adding: "Which one of you remembers 'Now I lay me down to
sleep'?"

There was no response. The ten or twelve disturbers of the peace were
stirring uneasily in their tracks.

Van gave them a chance.

"All who prefer to recite, 'Now I sit me up to eat,' please raise their
hands. Raise 'em up, raise 'em up!" he commanded with the gun. "Put
up both hands, while you're at it."

Up went all the hands. Mrs. Dick arrived, and stood looking on and
panting in excitement.

"Thanks for this unanimous vote," Van resumed. "I want to inform you
boarders in particular that if ever I hear of one of you missing a meal
of Algy's cooking, or playing hookey from this lodging-house, as long
as Mrs. Dick desires your inglorious company, I'll hand you forthwith
over to the pound-keeper with instructions not to waste his chloroform,
but to drown the whole litter in a bag."

"Oh, well!" said the spokesman, "I'd just as soon eat the chink's
cookin', if it's good."

"Me, too," said a foll