the distance. The boys continued to sing, while one or two blew freely
on the tin horns they carried. Here and there somebody would come
rushing to a window, or door, to learn what was doing.

"It's them Oak Hall boys!" cried one old farmer. "My, but they do have
high times!"

"So they do," returned his wife. "But they are good boys," she added,
for some of them had once aided her in capturing a runaway bull.

With a grand flourish the carryall swept around the last corner and
came to a halt in front of the hotel. Phil had hoped to see some extra
lights lit and was somewhat disappointed to see only the regular
lantern burning.

"I told him to light up freely and he said he would," he whispered to
Dave.

"Maybe he thought you meant the dining-room, Phil."

The students piled out of the carryall and waited for Phil, as host,
to lead the way into the hotel. All marched up the steps and into the
broad hallway. There they were confronted by the hotel proprietor, who
came to meet them in his shirtsleeves. He looked completely
bewildered.

"Well, we are here for that supper, Mr. Sparr!" cried Phil. "I hope
you are all ready for us!"

The hotel man looked at the boys in amazement. His jaw dropped. Then
he gasped out the words:

"Well, I'll be jiggered!"

CHAPTER XV

AT THE HOTEL

At once Dave and all the other students who had come to the hotel with
Phil, expecting a fine spread, saw that something was wrong. They
looked questioningly at the shipowner's son and at the hotel
proprietor.

"What's the matter?" demanded Phil, quickly.

"Matter?" repeated Jason Sparr. "That's just exactly what I'd like to
know."

"You--you are ready for us, aren't you?" went on Phil, with a sudden
catch in his voice.

"Why should I be ready, when you called the whole thing off?" growled
the hotel man. "Fine way to do, I must say," he continued, with strong
anger in his voice.

"Called the whole thing off?" repeated Phil. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" shouted Jason Sparr. "And after we had everything in fine
shape, too! Say, don't you think my stuff is too good to send to the
Old Ladies' Home?" he demanded.

"There must be some mistake here, Mr. Sparr," put in our hero. "Phil
didn't call this spread off. We are here for it, as you can see."

"But he did call it off--this noon," returned the hotel proprietor.
"And he wasn't a bit nice about it, either. When I asked him what I
should do with the extras I had ordered he told