"It discharged itself half an hour ago," said Ryder, bruskly. "And now there is nothing for it to do." "Why not?" gasped several, including the colonel, who asked the question truculently. John Ryder bit off the end of his cigar and lit it calmly. "As far as I know, gentlemen, I've bought up every lamp, every oil stove, every candle, and all the surplus supply of oil in this village tonight. I bought them on to my own private account. If I decide to resell them I'll let you know later." CHAPTER VII SHOCK UPON SHOCK The clamor of those who heard John Ryder's statement drew most of the crowd surging toward the desk, before which the business man stood. Colonel Brack, reddening and with glittering eyes, advanced upon Ryder with his "step-clump" stride, demanding: "Suh! do you call this a gentlemanly thing to do? Why, suh, the women and children in this hotel are at your mercy. It's an outrage, suh!" "The rest of the committee backed out on the steps of the store," said Ryder coolly. "Time was passing." "Why, the money is already put up for the supplies," cried somebody with much bombast. "Not for these supplies that I have obtained," said Ryder decisively. "In the first place two hundred dollars will not go far toward the purchase of the goods." "You mean to profit upon our necessities, do you, Mr. Ryder?" cried Jimson shrilly. "Shylock!" exclaimed another of the angry men. Ryder turned his back upon them and approached George. "I've bought the stuff," he said shortly. "It was a perfectly legitimate transaction." "By gad, suh!" reiterated the wrathful colonel, "you have taken an unfair advantage of a party of gentlemen who trusted you. You're a----" Ryder failed to hear the remainder of the colonel's sputterings. But a voice nearer to his ear could not be drowned. This said: "By George! that Ryder's a cleaner. He was never known to let a good chance slip in the Street, they say, and I can believe it. He's got us where the hair's short--and it's our own fault." John Ryder was angry. The manner in which the other members of the committee had dodged financial responsibility and were now declaiming against his "grasping" methods, exasperated him. He would not give them the satisfaction of an explanation. He took nobody but the steward and the clerk into his confidence. It was while he was discussing matters with these two employees of the hotel that the engineer sent up word that he had been forced to bank the fires under the boilers, but that the dynamos would be kept running until midnight. "That man seems faithful," Ryder observed. "Has word been sent around for the help to come together for a talk with us? We want to know how many will remain here." The steward turned red and blurted out: "I don't believe--that is, it will be difficult to get many of them together, sir." "Why?"