"With all my heart," agreed Ryder, grimly. "But that will not get us any coal tonight--nor keep the hotel warmed and lighted." "The scoundrel certainly deserves to figure in a necktie party," growled one man. "My wife's in hysterics upstairs right now." "Let us interview this Bangs before he gets away," Ryder said. "I understand he has really given orders to shut everything down at nine o'clock, and it only lacks ten minutes of that time now." The committee moved in a body on the private office. The door was closed, but Ryder did not give the manager a chance to refuse them admittance. He entered without knocking and the other determined men filed in. Bangs sat at his desk scratching off a letter at a furious pace. But he dropped his pen and turned toward them with a snarl. "Well, what is it now?" "We want your attention for a few moments, Mr. Bangs," John Ryder said quietly. "Who the deuce are you?" demanded the hotel manager. "You're not like Brack and Jimson and these other old stagers, who have been here so long they think they own the house. I never remember of seeing you before." Ryder handed him his card. "That is my name," he said, "and I came into this house for the first time tonight. That, however, is quite aside from the matter we have come to discuss. "We, the guests of this hotel, cannot be treated in this cavalier manner, Mr. Bangs. We will not stand for it. There will be damage suits after this night's work if you dare follow out your program--damage suits against the Barnaby estate of course. But I, for one, shall not be satisfied until I see you properly punished unless you immediately change your attitude." He spoke so firmly, and the threatening attitude of his co-workers was so impressive, that the manager began to cower. "I tell you I can't do a thing!" he began; but John Ryder stopped him with raised hand. "We demand your co-operation in keeping the hotel force together until the owners can be communicated with and until they send somebody to take charge here in your place." "I'll be hanged if I will!" cried Bangs, jumping up. "And you may be hanged if you don't," declared another of the committee, putting a rather broad back against the office door. Again Bangs cowered. These five men might do him bodily injury if they wished to. "I can't do a thing, I tell you," he whined. "There's no coal----" "We know all about that," Ryder interrupted sternly. "And we know why there is none. You knew this dispossessory proceeding was pending, and you made your plans to checkmate Giddings by shutting up the hotel in this way. Without regard for the comfort of your guests or the rights of your employees, you have tried to whip your enemy, Giddings, over our shoulders.