A minute later her voice came over the line again. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Swift, but your name isn't listed anywhere on Lester's schedule." The others saw from Tom's face as he hung up that something was wrong. "What gives?" Bud asked anxiously. "No music for one thing." Tom reported what Mrs. Morris had told him. "But you hired the guy!" Bud protested. "And Sandy and I talked to his agent!" Tom was already piecing together the mystery. He shook his head thoughtfully. "I'm sure now the whole deal was a hoax, Bud," he declared. "Both the first call that supposedly came from Lester Morris, and the second one asking me to come here and talk things over." By not responding to the second call in person, Tom went on, he had probably saved himself from being waylaid or kidnaped by his enemies. "Thank goodness!" Sandy exclaimed. "Still, that creepy Len Unger was trying to get information from us." "But how did your enemy know about the dance, Tom?" Phyl Newton put in. Sandy snapped her fingers. "I know! I'll bet it was when we went shopping for our dresses, Phyl, right after the boys invited us! The department store was full of people--almost anyone might have heard us discussing the dance!" "Especially if he was already trailing you to pick up bits of useful information," Tom agreed. Bud whipped out a handkerchief and mopped his face nervously. "The question is what do we do now, chums? A roomful of guests and no music!" "Relax, pardners!" Chow broke in cheerfully. "Just keep things goin' for a spell, an' I'll fix things up pronto!" Doffing his chef's cap, Chow hustled out to his parked jeep and took off with a roar. Mystified but hopeful, Tom, Bud, and Phyl did their best to entertain the guests. Sandy had rushed to the telephone. In twenty minutes Chow came rushing back. "Hey! He has a fiddle!" Bud exclaimed. Mounting the platform, the stout cowpoke raised his hands and shouted for attention. "Ladies an' gents, we'll start off with that good old dance known as the Texas Star!" As everyone took his place, Chow tuned up hastily. Then he tucked the fiddle under his chin, stomped out the rhythm, and launched into a lively rendition of "Turkey in the Straw" while he called out the accompaniment: "_Gals to the middle, then back so far! Gents step up for a clockwise star! Now shift hands and twirl t'other way, We'll keep on dancin' till the break o' day...._" The dance number finally ended to thunderous applause. Chow, puffing and red-faced but wreathed in smiles, was soon ready for another. Half an hour later, a dance band of high school boys, hastily summoned by Sandy, arrived to spell the Texan. The irrepressible chef, however, continued to call out most of the numbers and proved to be the hero of the evening. He gained even more acclaim for his delicious French fried potatoes and "steerburgers" served during the pause for refreshments.