Then the committee of five went back to the crowd in the foyer and reported progress. Colonel Brack led in acclaiming them public benefactors. But their work was not yet finished. Those who knew, declared there was no possibility of finding even a small supply of coal without considerable delay. The hotel manager had had an arrangement with the railroad company to furnish coal by the carload, and the local dealers would not put themselves out to accommodate the hotel now. Indeed, Bangs had made himself locally disliked. "The best we can do is to send our committee over to Cal Crabtree's store and buy up all the lamps and oil stoves he's got in stock," Colonel Brack said. "I'd head such a foraging party if it wasn't for my artificial limb. I'm afraid I'll get rheumatism in that if I go out at night," and the jovial colonel chuckled. But when it was vociferously agreed that the already elected committee, of which John Ryder was chairman, should do this purchasing and it had started out to do what Colonel Brack suggested, one of them observed: "Now, isn't that the colonel all over? That bum peg of his keeps him out of a lot of trouble. He's off this committee because some of us will have to put up money and then run the risk of getting it back from the estate, or from that slippery Bangs. The colonel gets cold in that artificial foot plaguey easy if the cards go against him at poker." And indeed, before they got to the general store, the committee was in a wrangle over this very thing. Who was going to put up the money for the lamps and stoves? Nobody seemed to care to step info the breech. John Ryder listened and said nothing at first. Finally he suggested: "Let's divide it among us. Think of the ladies----" "Let those who have got 'em, think of 'em," snapped one bachelor. "That's nothing in my young sweet life." "Oh, I say, Long, you wouldn't mind putting up a share for Mrs. Judson, would you?" chuckled another. "By jove! that's what I am afraid of," declared the bachelor. "If the widow ever heard I put up money to buy her an oil heater, she'd have me in court in breach of promise proceedings." It was evident the large lady was a standing joke among the men at the hotel. Ryder frowned. He was sorry that she had forced her society on Ruth. Meanwhile, the four other members of the committee agreed that they would not put their hands in their pockets. On the very steps of the store they halted and vociferously stated this decision. "Let's go back and take up a collection," said the bachelor member. "I know those ginks back there. There are more hard boiled eggs in that bunch at Pinewood Inn than you could find anywhere else along the coast. I'm not going to be nicked for more than my share."