he famous expedition, of which he was to be a member,
was the all-absorbing topic of conversation in Brimfield.

Mr. Hobart watched the boy's glowing face as he read this letter with
genuine pleasure; for he had taken a real liking to him, and was not
only glad of this opportunity for affording him such unalloyed
happiness, but also that they were to be companions on the proposed
trip.

Matters being thus happily settled, the engineer told Glen that they
would start the following evening for the end of the track, nearly two
hundred miles west of that point, where the expedition was to
rendezvous, and where he was to establish a camp for their reception.

The information that interested and pleased Glen the most, though, was
that Mr. Brackett was to be assistant engineer of the new division, and
that most of the members of the party with whom the boy was already on
such friendly terms, were also to join it.

Being dismissed by Mr. Hobart, with orders to be on hand bright and
early in the morning, for the morrow would be a busy day, the happy lad
rushed away to find those who were to be his fellow-explorers, and talk
over with them the wonders and delights of the proposed trip. To his
surprise not one of them was anywhere about the hotel, and he was told
that the entire party had gone down town a few moments before. Too
excited to do anything else, Glen immediately set out to find them. For
some time he searched in vain; but at length, attracted by the sound of
great shouting and laughter, he joined a throng of people who were
gathered about one of the few barber shops of the city, and seemed to be
vastly entertained by something taking place inside.

Recognizing "Billy" Brackett's voice above all the other sounds that
came from the shop, Glen pushed himself forward until he finally gained
a position inside the door. All the engineers were there. Three of them
occupied the three chairs that the shop boasted, and were having their
hair cut. Another, standing on a table, so that he could overlook the
crowd, was superintending the operation. But for his voice and his
unmistakable costume, Glen would never have recognized in him the
dignified young engineer under whom he had been at work but an hour
before. Every spear of hair had disappeared from his head, and he was as
bald as a billiard cue. Seated on the table, contentedly swinging their
legs, were two other bald-headed figures, whom Glen with difficulty
recognized a