half to death. Now we'll be able to do some real work!
We'll show you what we can do! By the way, Mr. Sparling,
are you intending to carry out the plan you told me about
this morning?"

"Yes. You will have a chance next year."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, we will go over the books together. I shall have to ask
you some questions as we go along. Please first tell the porter
to send Phil and Teddy in when they return, but not to tell them
who is here."

Billy went out and gave the showman's orders to the porter.
As it chanced there were none of the other men of the crew
on board the car at that time. They knew nothing about the
change that was taking place.

Upon Billy's return he and his chief settled down to a busy few
minutes of going over books and reports. The chief found many
things that did not please him, and his anger grew apace at some
of them.

"I guess I did a good job in getting rid of Snowden. What I
should have done was to have got rid of him before I joined him
out in the spring."

"He was a bad one," agreed Billy. "I can work with most anybody,
but I never could work with the likes of him. The boys are