who had been an interested witness of Gladys's discomfiture.

"Worse to be alive and broke," jeered another one. Gladys's face was
crimson with heat and embarrassment. She turned and walked rapidly away
from the place, followed by Hinpoha.

"You'll have to wire home for money now," said Hinpoha.

"And lose the bet," said Gladys, disconsolately. "And father'll laugh
his head off to think how neatly we were beaten.

"I know what I'll do," she said, resolutely. "I'll not wire him at all.
I'll wire the bank where I have my own money and have them wire me
some."

Accordingly, she hunted up the telegraph office and sent a wire collect
to her bank, feeling much pleased with herself at the idea of having
found a way out without calling on her father for aid.

The telegraph office was in the railway station and she and Hinpoha sat
down after sending the wire and waited for the ship to come in,
wondering what the other girls would think when they failed to come
back with the gasoline. It was past dinnertime but there was no dinner
for them as long as they had no money. From jaunty tourist to penniless
pauper in two hours is quite a change. An hour passed; two hours, but
no gold-laden message came over the wire. Hinpoha had been chewing her
fingers for the last hour.

"Oh, please stop that," cried Gladys irritably, "you make me nervous.
You remind me of a cannibal."