in' for another hotel, right now. Don't you fellows bother me
if you value your hides. If you can skin, that puppy, why, sic 'em,
Towse! and the devil take the hindmost! Oh, you Smart Alecks!"

He backed out with a traditional wiggle of his fingers.

It is to be regretted that the stringent regulations of the postal
authorities will not permit us any report of the heart-to-heart talk
that followed his departure, other than the baldest summary. It was
marked by earnestness, sincerity, even by some petulance, interspersed
with frank and spirited repartee. Mutual recrimination resulted.

Subdued and chastened, Mr. Mitchell was reduced to the ranks; Loring,
by virtue of his own and Mitchell's vote, replacing him. Archibald's
preference was for a third person still--namely, himself--and he
acquiesced with ill grace.

They had but little over ten thousand dollars remaining for the return
match; and this, as Loring pointed out with just indignation, would
only put them even. They knew that Wyatt would have at least twice
that much with him. So they scurried forth and made such good use of
the scant time left them, by borrowing, by squeezing both Bickford and
the hard-working bookkeeper, and by resource to certain nest-eggs
laid by for case of extreme urgency (known among themselves as "fix
money"), they scraped together some six thousand more. The "ripping"
dinner went untasted. They were hardened, but human.

All ravages of carking care were smoothed away, and they were disposed
in luxuriant and contented ease when Wyatt came.

"Aw, gentlemen, I am punctual, you see!" he announced gayly. "It
is weally vewy kind of you to be so obliging--I'm suah. Is
the--ah--mining puhson in?"

Mr. Loring, speaking for the trio, affably regretted that their young
friend was not, in fact, at his best during Mr. Wyatt's previous call.
They had remonstrated with him for his injurious conduct. At present
he was sleeping off the effects of his slight exhilaration: they
thought it would not be at all judicious to disturb him: they felt
sure that, on awakening, he would prove amenable to reason. Meanwhile,
the night was young; if Mr. Wyatt cared to join them in a friendly
rubber they would be delighted.

"Chawmed, I'm suah!" said Wyatt. "I do not desiah any contwovewsy with
that vewy wuffianly puhson while he is--ah--wuffled. So I shall wait
and shall be happy to join you."

The score was close; it was only through ingenious manipulation b