ker jar--for the ashes of dead ancestors?" asked
Andy. "Was I stuck, too?"

"Oh, no, not at all. Why, that is a very rare piece."

"What about that one in the window?" demanded Andy. "That's only rare to
the tune of several dollars less than I paid."

"Oh, but you are mistaken!" Ikey assured him. "It takes an expert to
tell the difference. You can ask Hashmi----"

"Hashmi be hanged!" cried Dunk, giving the captured one a shake. A
little crowd had gathered in the street to see the fun.

"I--I'll give you whatever you think is right," promised Ikey. "Only let
me go. I shall be late."

"The late Mr. Stein," laughed Andy.

"What about the rare satsuma piece you wished onto me?" demanded Ted.

"And that cloisonne flower vawse that has a crack in it?" Thad wanted to
know.

"That's because it's so old," whined Ikey. "It is more valuable."

"There's one in the window without a crack for three dollars less," was
the retort.

"Oh, well, if you fellows are dissatisfied with your bargains----"

"Oh, we're not going to back down," said Andy, "but we're not going to
pay more than they're worth, either. It was a plant, and you know it.
Now you shell out all we paid above what the things are marked at in
this window, and we'll call it square--that is, if you don't go around
blabbing how you took us in."

"All right! All right!" cried Ikey. "I'll do it, only let me go!"

"No; pay first! Run him over to our rooms," suggested Dunk. They were
not far from the quadrangle, and catching hold of Ikey they ran him
around into High Street and through the gateway beside Chittenden Hall
to Wright. There, up in Andy's and Dunk's room, Ikey was made to
disgorge his cash. But they were merciful to him and only took the
difference in price.

"Now you tell us how it happened, and we'll let you go," promised Andy.

"It was all Hashmi's fault," declared Ikey. "I believed him when he said
his brother in Japan had sent him a box of fine vawses. Hashmi said he
didn't need 'em all, and I said maybe we could sell 'em. So I did."

"That was all right; but why did you stick up the price?" asked Andy.

"A fellow has to make money," returned Ikey, innocently enough, and Dunk
laughed.

"All right," said Andy's roommate. "Don't do it again, that's all. Who
is Hashmi's brother?"

"One of 'em keeps that Jap store where you were looking in the window,"
said Ikey, edging out of the room, "and the other is in Japan. He sent
the stuff over to be