"You are interested in Lucky Lands--Mr. John Smith, of Reno?" he asked, stooping low to be heard. "Sure!" grinned Bob. The man said nothing more, but glided away, and in a moment the flare of light on the screen announced that the lecture was to begin. The lecturer, was a glib, self-possessed youth, filled to the brim with statistics, with which he literally overwhelmed his auditors. His remarks were accompanied by a rapid-fire snapping of fingers to the time of which the operator changed his slides. A bewildering succession of coloured views flashed on the screen. They showed Lucky in all its glories--the blacksmith shop, the main street, the new hotel, the grocery, Brown's walnut ranch, the ditch, the Southern Pacific Depot, the Methodist Church and a hundred others. So quickly did they succeed each other that no one had time to reduce to the terms of experience the scenes depicted on these slides--for with the glamour of exaggerated colour, of unaccustomed presentation, and of skillful posing the most commonplace village street seems wonderful and attractive for the moment. The lecturer concluded by an alarming statement as to the rapidity with which this desirable ranching property was being snapped up. He urged early decisions as the only safe course; and, as usual with all real estate men, called attention to the contrast between the Riverside of twenty years ago and the Riverside of to-day. The daylight was then admitted. "Now, gentlemen," concluded the lecturer, still in his brisk, time-saving style, "the weekly excursion to Lucky will take place to-morrow. One fare both ways to homeseekers. Free carriages to the Lands. Grand free open-air lunch under the spreading sycamores and by the babbling brook. Train leaves at seven-thirty." In full sight of all he threw the packet of tickets into a hat and drew one. "Mr. John Smith, of Reno," he read. "Who is Mr. Smith?" "Here," said Bob. "Would you like to go to Lucky to-morrow?" "Sure," said Bob. One of the attendants immediately handed Bob a railroad ticket. The lecturer had already disappeared. To his surprise Bob found the street door locked. "This way," urged one of the salesmen. "You go out this way."