Tom Parsons put down the blanket he was taking out of a trunk. He strode to the middle of the tent, put his hands on his hips, surveyed his three chums, and began:
"Say, look here, you fellows! I've done most of the work around this outfit. I saw to it that the baggage didn't go astray when you chaps were trying to flirt with those pretty girls in the train! I ordered all the eats, and most of the other stuff, I got Mendez to give us a hand, though none of you wanted me to. I've looked after everything from A to Z and you fellows have been loafing. And now you jump on me because I didn't get mock-turtle soup instead of mulligatawny. You don't like the kind of coffee, and I suppose you'll faint if you don't have condensed milk.
"Say, don't you want finger bowls? Will you have paper napkins, or just the plain fringed style? Do you want your shaving water hot every morning, and what time shall I have the 'bawth' ready? Are your nails manicured? If not, I guess I can find time to do that. Would you like silk pajamas, or will linen do? And if there's anything more that you confounded dudes want in this camp—just get it yourselves—I'm done! DONE! Do you hear? I'm through!" and, fairly shouting the words Tom stalked out of the tent and went and sat down on a log near the edge of Lake Tonoka.
