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 Rh They managed to keep busy until two o'clock in the afternoon, when trade fell off once more. Seeing this, Andy prepared to go out to dinner. He had just put on his hat when Gissem, the rival auctioneer, rushed in.

"See here, I want to talk to you two fellows!" he blustered.

"Well, what is it?" questioned Matt, as coolly as he could.

"You've been telling people I tried to stick a man on a lot of tin-plated spoons, saying they were solid silver."

"Who said so?"

"Never mind who said so. Let me tell you I ain't going to stand such work."

"Excuse me, sir, but we circulated no such story," interrupted Andy. "We know enough to mind our own business."

"But they told me one or the other of you had said so. We won't stand that—we'll have you arrested for—for defamation of character!" stormed the rival auctioneer, working himself up into a fine pitch of assumed indignation.

"We have said nothing concerning you," said Matt. "We have not even advised people to beware of our rivals, nor have we mentioned your stop