down on this first piece of work. Like Mr. Hammond, I hope that she will
develop into an Indian star of the very first magnitude."




CHAPTER XIII

DAKOTA JOE MAKES A DEMAND


At first Ruth and her friends did not worry about the presence of
Fenbrook and his Wild West Show in Chicago.

"Just riding past the billboard of the show isn't going to hurt us,"
chuckled Jennie Stone.

It was a fact soon proved, however, that the Westerner had made it his
business in some way to keep track of the movements of Wonota and her
friends. He made this known to them in a most unexpected way, Mr.
Hammond called Ruth up at her hotel.

"I must warn you, Miss Fielding" he said, "that I had a very unpleasant
meeting with that man, Fenbrook, only an hour ago. He actually had the
effrontery to look me up here in Wabash Avenue where I am staying with
my family, and practically demanded that I help finance his miserable
show because I had taken Wonota from him. He claims now she was his
chief attraction, though he would not admit that she was worth a living
wage when he had her under contract He was so excited and threatening
that I called an officer and had him put out of the house."