"Sure! Don't you fellows in advance eat?"

"Well, we go through the motions. That's about all I can say
for it. This living at contract hotels isn't eating; it isn't
even feeding. You folks back with the show don't have to put
up with contract hotels; you eat under the cook tent and you
get real food."

"What's a contract hotel?" asked Teddy.

Phil looked at his companion in disgust.

"Teddy Tucker, haven't you been in the show business long enough
to know what a contract hotel is?"

Teddy shook his head.

"I'll tell you, I'll explain what a contract hotel is,"
said Billy. "The contracting agent goes over the route in
the spring and makes the arrangements for the show. He engages
the livery rigs to take the men out on the country routes, and
when he gets through with the livery stable business he hunts up
all the almost food places in town until he finds one that will
feed the advance car men for five or ten cents a meal. Then he
signs a contract and goes off to a real hotel for his own meal.
Oh, no, Mr. Contracting Agent doesn't get his meals there.
Well, we're booked to eat at one of those almost food places
in every town we make. And some of them are not even 'almost.'
We are going to one of the kind now. Want to come along?"