"I was a spy once--with Buffalo Bill," said Lightnin', conversationally. He stared interestedly at Harper. "Friend of yours, John?" "This is Lightnin' Bill Jones, Mr. Harper. This is the gentleman I sold that timber to, Bill." The two men acknowledged the introduction. "Have you had any supper, Bill?" Marvin asked, resuming operations at the stove. "If not, you'd better stop and have it with me." Bill shook his head with an air of importance. "No; can't stop. Got to be home at the hotel at supper-time to see that everythin's goin' right. What time is it now?" "Seven o'clock." Bill shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, meditated, and announced: "Well, maybe they can get along without me. I got everythin' sys-sys-matized." Marvin glanced at him quickly. "Bill, I'm afraid you've been having a drink or two?" "Nope. Nope!" Bill repeated, with the debonair innocence of a mischievous and prevaricating school-boy. "I was just sayin' good-by to the boys out there." He signified with a jerk of his head that the lumberjacks were responsible if he seemed in any way elated. "You see, they're breakin' up camp--an' I didn't want to hurt their feelin's, as they're all friends o' mine." Harper, who had resumed his seat in the chair, glanced at Marvin. "Does our friend Bill know--what we were talking about?" "Everything!" said Marvin, readily. "Rest easy, Mr. Harper--you'll never find a better friend, nor a more trustworthy one, than Lightnin'. But, surely, you have heard of his hotel, haven't you?" "I'm afraid not." "Then I guess you're the only man what 'ain't!" said Bill, emphatically, and gazing at the ceiling and thoroughly enjoying the fact that he was the subject of the conversation. Rapidly Marvin sketched the conception and success of the Calivada Hotel. "It was a real idea--" "It was my idea," put in Bill, conversationally. "It certainly was, Bill!" Marvin went on. "And the new hotel is a big success! You see, the state line runs right through the middle of the house--through the center of the lobby, in fact! There are two separate desks, one on the California side and one on the Nevada side. Women began to arrive, and they all wanted rooms on the Nevada side--and they wanted them for six months!" Harper roared with laughter. "The Reno divorce brigade!" he exclaimed. Bill fairly beamed at the attention his affairs were drawing. He sat down on the corner of the table and grinned at Harper, while Marvin went on: "Exactly! Everybody knows what a woman goes to Reno for, but at Bill's hotel she can get a room on the Nevada side and still make her friends believe that she is at a California resort!" Again Harper laughed. "A corking good business idea!" he said. "And so it was your idea, Mr. Jones? I congratulate you! I suppose you have been out West here a long time?" "Sure--came out in the gold excitement," replied Bill, calmly. Harper stole an amused glance at Marvin. "Why, the gold excitement was away back in forty-nine!"