Edward Stratemeyer

“ Matt could do nothing but stare at the freight agent. A man had come there and driven off with the horse and wagon and taken the cases of goods with him. It seemed too bold-faced to be true.
“Our man?” he stammered. “We have no man.”
“Didn’t you send the man here?” demanded the agent, as he stopped short in his work of checking off packages.
“We certainly did not,” returned the young auctioneer. “Andy!” he called out, as he stepped back toward the open door, and a moment later Andy Dilks hurried into the depot. ”

“ Footsteps came close to where Matt and Marvelling stood.
“He’s coming this way!” cried the young auctioneer. “Let us stop him!”
“You stop him!” stammered the store-keeper. “He is—is a very ugly man to deal with.”
And as the old fellow in question appeared in sight, the store-keeper dropped down behind the rail fence, leaving Matt to face Joe Yedley alone.
This the young auctioneer did without hesitation.
“Stop where you are!” he cried out, and as Yedley attempted to leap the fence, he caught the fellow by the leg and dragged him to the ground. ”

“ On the following morning Matt and his partner set off bright and early for Phillipsburg. Andy had heard the particulars of Matt’s adventures, and he sincerely trusted that neither would have anything further to do with thieves, little dreaming of what fate had in store for them in the near future.
They had done very well in High Bridge, and so took their time to reach the pretty manufacturing town which lies on the east bank of the Delaware. The road was a good one, and on the way they stopped at a farmhouse, where Andy treated the firm, as he termed it, to apple pie and fresh milk. ”

“ Immediately after dinner they procured a license and found a suitable corner. They did all in their power to attract a crowd, and finally, toward evening, when the working people were on their way home, succeeded in bringing quite an assemblage around them.
But, strange to say, they could not make a single sale, try their best. Both used up all their eloquence; Matt played on the banjo and mouth harmonica, and Andy told funny stories. It was no use; the crowd merely smiled or frowned, and then one after another drifted away. ”

“ As has been said, the door was a rickety one, and it went down with a crash, tumbling the young auctioneer upon his face just outside the cottage.
“Hullo! what on earth does this mean?” cried a voice close by, and Andy rushed up, a look of blank astonishment plainly depicted upon his face.
“Those negroes!” gasped Matt, struggling to rise from amid the wreckage of the door. “Come on, don’t wait, for they are three to two, and they are just drunk enough to be as ugly as sin!” ”

“ For the moment after the brown bear crashed through the glass and landed in the show window of the auction store Matt was too astonished to move.
The entrance of the great beast, which had undoubtedly escaped from the circus men during the parade, was so totally unexpected that all in the place were too paralyzed with fear to move.
Screams of terror rent the air, and to these the brown bear added a growl which was both deep and angry.
Andy, who stood some distance behind Matt, was the first to do any rational talking.
“Grab the pistol, Matt!” he exclaimed. “Grab it quick!” ”

“ Matt heard an old man say, and saw the traveling corn doctor hand over a package of his preparation.
The purchaser of the package handed over a quarter of a dollar in silver. Barberry stuck the money in his pocket, and without attempting to give back any change, thrust two more packages of his corn salve into the old man’s hands.
“What—what’s this?” stammered the old fellow. “Where is my change?”
“That’s all right, three for a quarter, sir,” returned Paul Barberry briskly. “Who’ll have the next? Don’t all crowd up at once!” ”

“ Gissem seemed to be the principal member of the firm, Fillow and the boy being merely helpers. He was a tall, thin-faced and clean-shaven man, with hard, steely-blue eyes.
“This way for bargains!” he cried out, coming out upon the sidewalk. “This way, gents and 262 ladies! The only place in Wilkesbarre selling reliable goods at rock-bottom figures! Don’t be deceived by rival concerns trying to obtain a bit of our well-earned prosperity! Come right in and be convinced!” And he kept on in this strain for fully five minutes.
“Well, that is what I call downright mean,” cried Matt to Andy. ”

“ He had hardly come up into the starlight when two men came rushing toward him from the road.
“Who’s that?” cried one of the men.
“That must be the man!” cried the other, and Matt recognized Isaac Marvelling’s voice. “Catch hold of him, Jackson.”
In another moment the two men stood beside Matt. As he recognized the young auctioneer, Isaac Marvelling set up a cry of surprise and triumph.
“I told you so!” he declared. “I said them auction fellows weren’t no better than thieves! This is the chap that broke in my store, Jackson, I feel sure of it! ”

“ And undaunted by the blacksmith’s manner, Matt marched out into the yard, and untied Billy, 70 who was covered with sweat, and still trembling from fright.
“It’s playing a bold game you are,” grumbled the man of the anvil, as the boy led the horse through the blacksmith-shop toward the front door. “I reckon you think you are mighty smart.”
“One has to be smart to deal with such a man as you!” retorted Matt. “Had you done the fair thing at the start, I might have rewarded you for stopping the horse, but as it is, I don’t believe you deserve a cent.” ”

“ That’s right!” cried several men in the crowd, and the woman who had first spoken nodded approvingly.
“You’re a mighty big boy!” sneered the store-keeper, but all noticed that he retreated several steps toward the open doorway.
“I am big enough to defend myself,” replied the young auctioneer quickly. “I want you to leave. I am no more of a swindler than you are—perhaps not as much. I am conducting this business on an honest basis, and I will not stand by and let you or any one else blacken my character.” ”

“ Matt did not wait to encounter the rival auctioneers, but walked away and entered the door of his own store. Andy was busy, dusting up, and to his partner he told what he had heard.
“Phew!” whistled Andy. “That will make matters rather interesting. Is that their wagon out there?”
“I suppose it is. Those are the same two men, I am certain.”
“Yes, they are. Well, if they are the swindlers folks in Bethlehem said they were we ought not to fear them. People are not fools, and they soon learn if a man is honest or not.”
“They may take away a good bit of trade, nevertheless, Andy. ”

“ I can tell stories and sing and sell more goods than any one has any idea of. Besides that, I’ve got a new corn salve I put up myself which goes like hot cakes. Barberry’s Lightning Salve, I call it—my name is Paul Barberry, you know—Dr. Barberry, most of ’em call me. Say the word, and I’ll go with you and put up my salve against your outfit, and we’ll share and share alike.”
“As I said before, we have no room for an outsider,” returned Matt, while Andy nodded approvingly. “The wagon seat only holds two, and besides, our plans are all completed for our trip.” ”

“ Andrew Dilks brought out a sheet of paper and a pencil and began to do some figuring.
“We will put down our combined capital at two hundred and fifty dollars,” he said. “Now, what can we get a good horse for?”
“Two hundred dollars!” laughed Matt.
“You are right, but we must get one cheaper.”
“Supposing we look around for a bargain at one hundred dollars, then?”
“That is nearer the figure. We do not want a fancy animal nor a particularly fast one. A horse that can pull our wagon ten to twenty miles a day once or twice a week will answer.” ”

“ You peddlers are getting more bold every day. The police ought to sit down on every one of you!”
“I am sorry if I disturbed your leisure,” returned Matt, as mildly as he could. “But, I thought——”
“You thought you would just like to cheat me into buying a lot of your trash,” finished the restaurant proprietor. “Well, you can’t do anything of the kind, and you can take that for your impudence!”
And hastily gathering up the package of samples, the restaurant keeper walked to the open doorway and flung knives, forks and spoons into the muddy gutter! ”

“ The office where licenses could be procured was at the City Hall, on Broad Street. When they turned into that thoroughfare Matt uttered a cry of surprise.
“What a broad street!” he exclaimed, as he surveyed it.
“It is one of the broadest in any eastern city,” returned the officer, who seemed inclined to be more friendly now that they had shown a disposition to do the right thing. ”

“ Give a man a good team of horses and a wagon, and enough money to stock up, and he can travel from place to place and make a small fortune.”
“I believe you. Why don’t you start out?”
“I haven’t enough money, that’s the only reason.”
“How much would it take?”
“The price of the turnout, from two hundred dollars up, and about a hundred dollars for stock. You know stock can be purchased as often as desired.”
“By crickety! If I had the money I would go in with you!” cried Matt, caught with a sudden idea. “That sort of thing would just suit me.” ”

“ Matt and Andy looked at each other. Each knew very well that the other had never made any bargain 208 for the sale of the turn-out and stock. The whole scheme was one of the corn doctor to get possession of their belongings.
“See here, Barberry, there is no use for you to talk in this fashion,” went on Matt, as calmly as he could, although he was worked up to the top notch of excitement. “You know very well that you are asserting that which is not true. The outfit belongs to us, and you haven’t the shadow of an interest in it. ”

“ His nerves seemed to be strained to their utmost, and on he plunged, dragging the wagon along with bumps and jolts, which more than once threatened to land the young auctioneer out on his head.
Realizing that something must be done quickly if 133 he would save the wagon from becoming a total wreck, Matt resolved upon a bold move. He tied the reins to the dashboard, and then, with a swift jump, cast himself upon Billy’s back.
For the instant the horse, worse frightened than before, tore along over the uneven surface at a greater rate of speed than ever. ”

“ He has more money than I. He may want somebody who can put up an equal amount.”
“How much has he?”
“A hundred and thirty-five dollars.”
“And that is a good deal more than you have, I suppose?”
“I have saved seventy-five dollars,” returned Matt, and not without some pride.
“Is it possible! And on a salary of four dollars a week!”
“Not much! That salary only paid my way. I saved the money out of extras I earned from other brokers—running errands for them and doing writing at home in the evenings.”
“I see. It is very creditable to you.”
“Yet Mr. Fenton said I was lazy,” replied Matt bitterly. ”

“ You stole it from the Phillipsburg freight depot, and——”
“Stop that!” blustered the corn salve doctor. “How dare you call me a thief, boy?”
“That is what you are, and nothing less. If you——”
“Do you hear that, fellows?” interrupted Barberry, turning to the two men.
“You want to keep a civil tongue in your head, boy!” cried one of the men sharply. “Calling a man a thief is a serious business.”
“And being a thief is still more serious,” replied Andy. “Perhaps you fancy you can bluff us, as the saying is, but you are mistaken. This turn-out is ours, and we are here to claim it. ”

“ More followed, and seeing this, Matt and Andy kept on until the store was once more filled.
Then Matt began to talk. He made no wild statements, but in an earnest manner told what they had to sell, and asked those around him to examine the goods carefully.
“That fellow next door said to beware of rival concerns,” remarked a man in the crowd slyly, and several smiled at the words.
“Well, I take it that people are bright enough to know what they are doing,” returned Matt. “We are too busy to talk about our neighbors. We are here to show what we have and sell goods—if we can. ”

“ You expect a boy to do two men’s work for a boy’s pay——”
“Stop!”
“Not until I have finished, sir. I am perfectly willing to leave, even though times are dull, and have been contemplating such a step on my own account for some time. I was getting tired of being a slave.”
“You outrageous imp! Not another word from you. I will not have you in this place another minute! Go to Mr. Gaston and draw your pay and leave, and never let me see your face again!”
And white with passion, Randolph Fenton sprang to his feet and threw open the door for Matt to pass out. ”

“ It’s the greatest on the face of the globe!” bawled Barberry, turning away and addressing another crowd on the sidewalk.
“Well, I’ll be jiggered!” muttered the old man, and much put out, but too timid to stand up for his 176 rights and demand the return of his money, he placed the packages in his coat-tail pocket, and walked off.
“Well, that’s what I call a rather high-handed proceeding,” thought Matt. “No wonder some folks consider street merchants and traveling auctioneers little better than thieves, when some of them act in that fashion. I don’t think he’ll prosper, though, in the end.” ”

“ The youth was as much interested in the sale as though he was buying half the articles auctioned off, although he had not enough in his trousers pocket to even start bidding, for no bid of less than twenty-five cents was recognized by the auctioneer in beginning a sale.
The vase disposed of, the auctioneer’s assistant brought forth from a side shelf a piece of imitation marble statuary, representing three doves bearing a wreath of flowers between them. The bit of bric-a-brac looked quite nice, but as it was but imitation marble, it was not worth more than two dollars, if as much. ”

“ The constable glided out of sight, and five minutes of silent suspense followed.
“It ain’t likely he’ll find anything,” grumbled Isaac Marvelling. “This ain’t anything but a wild goose chase.”
“Wait,” returned Matt. “He must go slow, or he may——”
The young auctioneer broke off short, for at that instant several loud exclamations reached their ears.
“Surrender, Yedley!” they heard Jackson cry. “Surrender, in the name of the law!”
“Who told ye to come here?” yelled the voice of an old man. “Git out an’ leave me alone.”
“I arrest you, Yedley, for stealing— Hullo! he’s gone! Stop him! stop him!” ”