"You dog of a landlord!" he cried, in Norwegian. "Where are you? My room is as cold as a barn. I want some extra wood put on the fire at once. This is a scurvy way to treat the burgomaster of Masolga."
"Hello!" cried Dave, in a low voice, and plucked his chum by the sleeve. "Here is the brute of the railway coach."
"Sure enough," murmured the senator's son. "I never thought we'd meet him up here. Wonder if he'll say anything if he sees us?"
"Humph! so he's the burgomaster of Masolga, eh?" muttered Granbury Lapham. "I pity the townfolks under him."
"I say, do you hear, landlord?" stormed the burgomaster, striding around. "Are you deaf, that I must wear my lungs out calling you? If I had---- Ha!"
He stopped short, for his striding around had brought him face to face with our friends. He was astonished, then glared at the three as if they were deadly enemies.
"You!" he cried. "You! What brought you to this place? Are you following me?"
"We are not following you," answered the Englishman.
"I thought I was done with you! That I would never behold any of you again!" went on the burgomaster. "You are English cattle."
"And you are a Norwegian pig," answered Granbury Lapham. His English blood could not stand the insult.
"Ha! this to me? Me! the burgomaster of Masolga!" The speaker stamped violently on the floor with his heavy boot. "You shall pay for that insult! A pig! I will show you!"
"You started the quarrel, I did not," said the Englishman. He was a trifle alarmed over the turn affairs had taken.
"Are you stopping here?" demanded the burgomaster, after an ugly pause.
"It shall not be--I will not have you in the house with me! Such English cattle! Hi, you, Mina!"--this to a servant who had come in. "Call your master at once, I must see him."
The servant departed, her wooden shoes clattering loudly on the bare floor. The burgomaster of Masolga paced up and down, slapping his hands together.
"I will show you your place!" he muttered, with a malicious look on his face. "Wait! Yes, wait!"
In a moment more the landlord came in, almost out of breath.
"A thousand pardons!" he said, bowing low. "It was stupid of Jan to let the fire burn low. I have ordered more wood, and----"
"Let that pass, for the present," answered the burgomaster. "It is about these fellows I want to question you. Have they engaged rooms here?"