THE RECONNAISSANCE PARTY 7 



nies, welcoming her husband with shining eyes. 



Three bored-looking travelling men of widely dis- 

 parate ages were alike only in that they wore derby 

 hats and walked with one accord quickly and un- 

 hesitatingly toward the stage where Big Sam, the 

 negro driver, obviously enjoying the brief but legit- 

 imate conspicuousness of his position, rubbed his 

 hands together and shouted at the top of his lungs : 



"All abo'd fo' d' Palace Palace Hotel dis-a-wa- 

 a-a-y!" 



Last to descend, a tall well-built youth with a suit 

 case in one hand and a kit bag in the other, stepped 

 off the train and gazed leisurely about him. As 

 he caught sight of our party he set his baggage on 

 the platform and awaited our approach with great 

 composure. His air was assured, complacent even. 

 It took no psychologist to divine that Horace was 

 thoroughly at home with himself. 



"The Forest Service boys, I presume," he ob- 

 served genially, as we came up. "I knew you in a 

 minute, and I am more than glad to meet you all." 



The newcomer was not bashful, that was a cinch. 

 And if his manner had not indicated as much at 

 once, the fact would have become indubitably ap- 

 parent during the afternoon and evening of that 

 first day. His conversation made that certain. He 

 enlightened us at length in regard to himself and his 

 experiences in the West. We were curious, as I 

 have said, to learn something of Horace. By night 

 we knew all there was to be known. 



