nt.

"We've heard enough, anyway," replied the same drummer briskly. "So
these young men, who are a credit to their profession and to their home
towns, are ordered to leave here? Boys, I guess we leave, too, don't
we?"

The other traveling salesmen assented emphatically.

Now Proprietor Ashby felt dismal, indeed. These five men were occupying
the best quarters in his hotel, outside of those occupied by Jim Duff.
It was not the loss of patronage from these men alone that troubled
Ashby. Traveling salesmen have their own ways of "passing around the
word" and downing any hotel that depends largely on their patronage.

"You can have all our rooms, then, Mr. Ashby," proposed the same
drummer. "We'll have our things out and be ready for our bills within
twenty minutes."

"But, gentlemen, be calm about this," begged Ashby. "Finish your meals
first. There may be some way of arranging--"

"There is," returned the drummer, with a smile that was a fine
duplicate of Tom's own. "We know just where to arrange for the kind of
accommodations that we want. Mr. Reade," turning to Tom and Harry, "will
you allow me to introduce ourselves. We are aching to shake hands with
you, for we've heard all about you."

Proprietor Ashby fidgeted at the side, while the eight departing guests
paused long enough to make their names known to each other.

Jim Duff had vanished early, leaving the hotel man to his own
humiliation.

The introductions concluded, Hawkins followed the young engineers to
their room while the drummers went to their own more costly quarters and
hastily packed their belongings.

Fifteen minutes later the party stood in the office and porters were
bringing down trunks. Tom and Harry, keeping most of their belongings at
camp, had only suit cases to carry.

"Gentlemen, I think you are making a mistake," began Mr. Ashby, as he
met the salesmen in the lobby near the clerk's desk.

"We made a mistake in coming here," retorted the leader of the salesmen,
pleasantly as to tone, "but we're rectifying it now. Are our bills
ready?"

The proprietor went behind the desk to make change, while the clerk
receipted seven bills. Ashby's hands shook as he manipulated the money.

"Dobson," he said, in a low tone to one of the drummers, "I had intended
ordering a ton of hams from you. Now, of course, I can't--"

"Quite right," nodded Mr. Dobson cheerfully. "You couldn't get them from
our house at four times the market price. We would