t returning
from work, and others out sightseeing and buying, but the boy had no
difficulty in making his way along at a rapid gait. In less than a
quarter of an hour he reached the hotel and entered the office. He was
about to accost the clerk at the desk, when somebody tapped him on the
shoulder, and turning he saw Andrew Dilks.

"I have been watching for you," said the young man. "I was a little
afraid you might disappoint me."

"I was detained," said Matt. "But I am at your service now. Where
shall we go?"

"My room is rather small and warm, but it is more private than the
reading-room down here," returned Andrew Dilks. "Suppose we go up
there. You can sit by the window and get what little breeze there
is."

They started for the stairs (there was no elevator, as in all
better-class hotels), and were soon comfortably seated in Andrew
Dilks' room, an apartment on the third floor, in the rear.

"It's not a very elegant place," remarked the young man apologetically,
"but it's cheap, and that's what I wanted. A fellow can't spend his
money and save it, too."

"You are right there."

"As I said before, old Gulligan only gave me ten dollars a week, and
out of that I had to pay for many articles that got broken. He put off
what he could on me, whether it was my fault or not."

"I believe you said you had a hundred and thirty-five dollars?"

"Yes. It's not much, but it's something. I wish you had as much. I've
figured it that we might start with a single horse and an ordinary
covered wagon on two hundred and seventy dollars, and still keep
twenty dollars in cash for emergencies."

"I have an idea I can raise the amount."

"You can? Good enough!"

"But, first, I want you to give me some of the particulars of your
scheme."

"I'll do that willingly. I want you to understand every detail before
you invest. Then you will know just what to expect."

Andrew Dilks brought out a sheet of paper and a pencil and began to do
some figuring.

"We will put down our combined capital at two hundred and fifty
dollars," he said. "Now, what can we get a good horse for?"

"Two hundred dollars!" laughed Matt.

"You are right, but we must get one cheaper."

"Supposing we look around for a bargain at one hundred dollars,
then?"

"That is nearer the figure. We do not want a fancy animal nor a
particularly fast one. A horse that can pull our wagon ten to twenty
miles a day once or twice a week will answer."

"Yes; we can