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94 at five o'clock the next morning, and he at once aroused his partner. They had an early breakfast, and then walked around to the stable where the wagon was housed.

While they were hitching up Billy a middle-aged man, rather slouchy in appearance, came shuffling in.

"Are you the two young fellers what's running this here auction wagon?" he began, addressing Matt.

"We are," returned the boy. "What do you want?"

"Pretty good business, ain't it?" went on the stranger, without answering the question which had been put.

"Sometimes it is."

"I reckon there's a heap of money in it," proceeded the shabby stranger.

"Well, we are not yet millionaires," put in Andy, with a pleasant laugh.

"I know a feller what made a pile of money in the auction business," remarked the man as he ejected a quantity of tobacco juice from his mouth. "He was a rip-snorter at it, though—could talk a table into walking off—and keep it up all day and half the night."

To this statement Matt and Andy made no reply.