his competitor is to be consulted also, and he must have a very stiff
backbone indeed if he does not cut his own prices at once.

So when my neighbor on the train told me he also was going to Rossmore
and was selling guns and revolvers, I felt my courage ooze out of my
fingers. He handed me a card, with a good-natured smile, and I read:

SHIVERHIM & GAILY,
Philadelphia.

I don't like to hand out a card as an introduction of myself to other
traveling men, so I told him my name and that of my house, and we
considered ourselves acquainted.

"Is this your first trip?"

Now, why in thunder should he have asked that? Did I look different
from other traveling men? I felt as if he showed very bad taste in
asking such a question and I made a note to never do it unless I
wanted to be mean. But I told Blissam (that was his name) that it was
my first trip.

"Then you'll find Rossmore a tough place to tackle."

I said we had three customers there.

"So have we; so has every dealer that ever went there. They buy a
handful of goods of everybody, and they buy most goll-darned cheap.
They'll lie to you until your head swims. First, there's Fisher; keeps
an eating room on the main floor and gun store upstairs. I'll go in