“Hello, young man!” cried the rancher, in surprise. “I thought you were on the road with your show?”
“I was,” smiled Frank, “but met disaster at the very start, and did not get further than Puelbo.”
“Well, that’s tough!” said Carson, sympathetically. “What was the matter?”
“A number of things,” confessed Frank. “The play was not strong enough without sensational features. I have found it necessary to introduce a mechanical effect, besides rewriting a part of the play. I shall start out again with it as soon as I can get it into shape.”
“Then your backer is all right? He’s standing by you?”
“On the contrary,” smiled Merry, “he skipped out from Puelbo yesterday morning, leaving me and the company in the lurch.”
“Well, that was ornery!” said Carson. “What are you going to do without a backer?”
“Back myself. I have the money now to do so. I am here to make a deposit.”
Then it came about that he told Mr. Carson of his good fortune, and the rancher congratulated him most heartily.
Frank presented his check for deposit, asking for a check book. The eyes of the receiving teller bulged when he saw the amount of the check. He looked Frank over critically.