第15章

“Willyoukindlyreferee，“saidhe，forgivingly，totheleader，“anddecidewhichofthemsmearsistheawfulest？“

Buttheleaderlookedtheotherwayandplayeduponamouth-organ。

“Well，thatsavesmemoney，“saidMr。McLean，jinglinghispocket。“I

guessyou’vebothwon。“Hehandedeachofthemadollar。“Now，“hecontinued，“Ijustdassentshowthesebootsuptown；sothistimeit’sadollarforthebestshine。“

Thetwowentpalpitatingattheirbrushesagain，andtheleaderplayedhismouth-organwithbrilliantunconcern。Lin，tallandbroodingleanedagainstthejuttingsillofthewindow，afiguresomehowplainlystrangeintown，whilethroughthebrightplate-glassSantaClaus，holdingouthisbeerandsausages，perpetuallybeamed。

Billywaslaboringgallantly，butitwaslabor，thecow-puncherperceived，andBillynoseasonedexpert。“Seehere，“saidLin，stooping，“I’llshowyu’howit’sdone。He’splayin’thattooncross-eyedenoughtosteeranybodycrooked。There。Keepyourblackingsoft，andworkwithadrybrush。“

“Lemme，“saidBilly。“I’vegottolearn。“Sohefinishedtheboothisownwaywithwirydetermination，breathingandrepolishing；andthiseventwasalsoadjudgedadeadheat，withresultsgratifyingtobothparties。

Soherewastheirworkdone，andmoremoneyintheirpocketsthanfromalltheotherbootsandshoesofthisday；andTowheadandBillydidnotwishforfurthertrade，buttospendthishandsomefortuneassoonasmightbe。Yettheydelayedinthebrightnessofthewindow，drawnbycuriositynearthisnewkindofmanwhosevoiceheldthemandwhoseremarksdroppedthemintoconstantuncertainty。Eventheomittedleaderhadbeenunabletogoawayandnursehispridealone。

“Isthatasecretsociety？“inquiredTowhead，liftingafingeratthebadge。

Mr。McLeannodded。“Turruble，“saidhe。

“You’reaWells&Fargodetective，“assertedtheleader。

“Playyourharp，“saidLin。

“Areyoua——adesperaydo？“whisperedTowhead。

“Oh，my!“observedMr。McLean，sadly；“whathasourJackbeenreadin’？“

“He’sacattle-man!“criedBilly。“Iseenhisheels。“

“That’syou!“saidthediscoveredpuncher，withapproval。“You’lldo。ButIbetyoucan’ttellmewhatwewearersofthisbadgehavesworntodothisnight。“

Atthistheycranedtheirnecksandglaredathim。

“We——are——sworn——don’tyu’jump，now，andgivemeaway——sworn——to——blowoffthreebootblackstoadinner。“

“Ah，pshaw!“Theybackedaway，bristlingwithdistrust。

“That’stheoath，fellows。Yu’mayaswellmakeyourmindsup——forIhaveittodo!“

“Dareyouto!Ah!“

“Andafterdinnerit’stheOpera-house，tosee“TheChildrenofCaptainCant’!“

Theyscreamedshrillyathim，keepingoffbeyondthecurb。

“Ican’twastemytimeonsuchsmartboys，“saidMr。McLean，risinglazilytohisfullheightfromthewindow-sill。“Iamgoin’somewheretofindboysthatain’tsoturrublequickstampededbyaroastturkey。“

Hebegantoloungeslowlyaway，seriousashehadbeenthroughout，andthey，stoppingtheirnoiseshort，swiftlypickeduptheirboxes，andfollowedhim。Somechangeinthecurrentofelectricitythatfedthewindowdisturbeditssparklinglight，sothatSantaClaus，withhisarmsstretchedoutbehindthedepartingcow-puncherseemedtobesmilingmorebroadlyfromthemidstofhisflickeringbrilliance。

Ontheirwaytoturkey，thehostandhisguestsexchangedbutfewremarks。Hewasfullofgood-will，andthrewoffacommentortwothatwouldhaveledtoconversationunderalmostanycircumstancessavethese；

butthemindsoftheguestsweretoodistractedbythiswholestateofthingsforthemtobecapableofmorethankeepingafterMr。McLeaninsilence，atawaryinterval，andwiththeirmouths，duringmostofthejourney，open。Thebadge，thepistol，theirpatron’stalk，andtheunusualdollars，wakenedwidetheirbentfortheunexpected，theirstreetaffinityforthespurofthemoment；theybelievedslimlyintheturkeypartofit，butwhatthismanmightdonext，tobetherewhenhedidit，andnottobetrapped，kepttheirwitsjumpingdeliciously；sowhentheysawhimstop，theystoppedinstantlytoo，tenfeetoutofreach。ThiswasDenver’smostcivilizedrestaurant——thatonewhichMr。McLeanhadremembered，withforeigndishesandprivaterooms，wherehehadpromisedhimself，amongotherthings，champagne。Mr。McLeanhadneverbeeninsideit，butheardatalefromafriend；andnowhecaughtasuddensightofpeopleamonggeraniums，withplumesandwhiteshirt-fronts，veryelegant。

Itmusthavebeenseveralminutesthathestoodcontemplatingtheentranceandtheluxuriouscoupleswhowentin。

“PlumbFrench!“heobservedatlength；andthen，“Shucks!“inakeylessconfident，whilehisgueststenfeetawaywatchedhimnarrowly。“They’reeatin’pattydeparley-voointhere，“hemuttered，andthethreebootblackscamebesidehim。“Say，fellows，“saidLin，confidingly，“I

wasn’traisedgoodenoughforthemdudedishes。Whatdoyu’say!I’mafteraplacewhereyu’canmentionoysterstoowithoutgivin’anybodyafit。Whatdoyu’say，boys？“

Thatlightedthedivinesparkofbrotherhood!

“Ah，youcomealongwithus——we’lltakeyer!Youdon’twanttogointhere。We’llshowyerthebossplaceinMarketStreet。Wewon’tloseyer。“

So，shoutingtogetherintheirshrilllittlecitytrebles，theyclusteredabouthim，andonepulledathiscoattostarthim。Hestartedobediently，andwalkedintheircharge，theyleadingtheway。

“Christmasiscomin’now，sure，“saidLin，grinningtohimself。“Itain’texactlywhatIfiguredon。“ItwasthefirsttimehehadlaughedsinceCheyenne，andhebrushedahandoverhiseyes，thatweredimwiththenewwarmthinhisheart。

Believingatlengthinhimandhisturkey，thealertstreetfaces，sosuspiciousoftheunknown，lookedathimwithreadyintimacyastheywentalong；andsoon，inthefriendlydesiretomakehimacquaintedwithDenver，thethreewerepatronizinghim。OnlyBilly，perhaps，nowandthenstoleathimadoubtfullook。

ThelargeCountryMouselistenedsolemnlytohisthreeTownMice，whopresentlyintroducedhimtotheplaceinMarketStreet。Itwasnotboss，precisely，andDenverknowsbetterneighborhoods；buttheturkeyandtheoysterstewwerethere，withcatsupandvegetablesinseason，andseveralchoicesofpie。HeretheCountryMousebecameagainefficient；andtowitnesshisliberalmasteryoforderingandimaginehispocketanditswealth，whichtheyhadheardandpartlyseen，renewedintheguestsatransientawe。Astheydined，however，andfoundthehostasfranklyravenousasthemselves，thisreticenceevaporated，andtheyallgrewfluentwithoathsandopinions。Atoneortwowords，indeed，Mr。McLeanstaredandhadaslightsenseofblushing。

“Haveacigarette？“saidtheleader，overhispie。

“Thankyu’，“saidLin。“Iwon’tsmoke，ifyu’llexcuseme。“Hehaddevisedawholesomemeal，withwatertodrink。

“Chewin’snogoodatmeals，“continuedtheboy。“Don’tyouusetobaccer？“

“Oncedinawhile。“

Theleaderspatbrightly。“Heain’tlearnedyet，“saidhe，slantinghiselbowsatBillyandslidingamatchoverhisrump。“Butbeer，now——I

neverseenanythinginit。“HeandTowheadsoonleftBillyandhiscallowprofanitiesbehind，andengagedinatownconversationthatsilencedhim，andsethimlisteningwithallhisadmiringyoungmight。NordidMr。

McLeanjoininthetalk，butsatembarrassedbythisknowledge，whichseemedaboutasmuchasheknewhimself。

“I’llbegoshed，“hethought，“ifI’dcaughtontohalfthatwhenIwasstreakin’aroundinshortpants!Maybetheygrowupquickernow。“ButnowtheCountryMouseperceivedBilly’seagerandattentiveapprenticeship。

“Hello，boys!“hesaid，“thattheatre’sgotabigstartonus。“

Theyhadallforgottenhehadsaidanythingabouttheatre，andothertopicslefttheirimpatientminds，whiletheCountryMousepaidthebillandaskedtobeguidedtotheOpera-house。“Thismanherewilllookoutforyourblackin’andtruck，andletyu’haveitinthemorning。“

Theywereverylate。Thespectaclehadadvancedfarintopassagesofthehighestthrill，andDenver’seyeswereriveteduponashipandsomeicebergs。Thepartyfounditsseatsduringseveralbeautifullime-lighteffects，andthatremarkablefly-buzzingofviolinswhichisproouncedsohelpfulintimesofperilandsentiment。ThechildrenofCaptainGranthadbeentrackingtheirfatherallovertheequatorandotherscenicspots，andnowthenorthpolewasabouttoimpalethem。TheCaptain’syoungestchild，perceivingahummockrushingatthemwithasuddenmotion，loudlyshouted，“Sister，theiceisclosingin!“andshereplied，chastely，“Thenletuspray。“Itwasasuperbtableau：theicesplit，andthesunroseandjoggledatoncetothezenith。Theact-dropfell，andmaleDenver，wrungtoitsreligiousdeeps，wentouttotherum-shop。

OfcourseMr。McLeanandhispartydidnotdothis。Thepartyhadapplaudedexceedinglythedefeatoftheelements，andtheleader，withTowhead，discussedtheprobablechancesoftheship’sgettingfarthersouthinthenextact。UntillatelyBilly’sdoubtofthecow-puncherhadlingered；butduringthisintermissionwhateverhadbeenholdingoutinhimseemedwon，andinhiseyes，thatheturnedstealthilyuponhisunconscious，quietneighbor，shonethebeginningsofhero-worship。

“Don’tyouthinkthisissplendid？“saidhe。

“Splendid，“Linreplied，atrifleremotely。

“Don’tyoulikeitwhentheyallgetballedupandgetoutthatway？“

“Humming，“saidLin。

“Don’tyouguessit’sjustgirls，though，thatdothat？“

“What，youngfellow？“

“Why，allthatprayer-sayingan’stuff。“

“Iguessitmustbe。“

“Shesaidtodoitwhentheicescaredher，an’ofcourseamanhadtodowhatshewantedhim。“

“Sure。“

“Well，doyoubelievethey’d’a’doneitifshehadn’tbeenonthatboat，andclungaroundan’criedan’everything，an’madeherfriendsfeelbad？“

“Ihardlyexpecttheywould，“repliedthehonestLin，andthen，suddenlymindfulofBilly，“excepttherewasn’tnothin’elsetheycouldthinkof，“

headded，wishingtospeakfavorablyofthecustom。

“Why，thatchunkoficeweren’tsoawfulbiganyhow。I’d’a’shovedheroffwithapole。Wouldn’tyou？“

“Buttedherlikearam，“exclaimedMr。McLean。

“Well，Idon’tsaymyprayersanymore。ItoldMr。PerkinsIwasn’ta-goingto，an’he——Ithinkheisaflubdubanyway。“

“I’llbetheis!“saidLin，sympathetically。Hewasscarcelyaprudentguardian。

“Itoldhimstraight，an’helookedatmean’downheflopsonhisknees。

An’hemade’emallflop，butItoldhimIdidn’tcareforthemputtingupanycamp-meetingoverme；an’hesays，’I’lllickyou，’an’Isays，’Dareyouto!’Itoldhimmotherkep’a-lickingmefornothing，an’I’dnotprayforher，notinSunday-schooloranywhereselse。Doyoupraymuch？“

“No，“repliedLin，uneasily。

“There!Itoldhimamandidn’t，an’hesaidthenamanwenttohell。

’Youlie；fatherain’tgoingtohell，’Isays，andyou’doughttoheardthefirstclasslaughrightoutloud，girlsan’boys。An’hewasthatmad!ButIdidn’tcare。Icameherewithfiftycents。“

“Yu’musthavefeltlikeamillionaire。“

“Ah，Ifeltallright!Iboughtpapersan’sold’em，an’gotmorean’

saved，antgotmyboxan’blackingoutfit。Iweren’tgoingtobelickedbyherjustbecauseshefeltlikeit，an’shefeelinglikeitmostanytime。Lemmeseeyourpistol。“

“Youwait，“saidLin。“AfterthisshowisthroughI’llputitonyou。“

“Willyou，honest？Beltan’everything？Didyouevershootabear？“

“Lord!lots。“

“Honest？Silver-tips？“

“Silver-tips，cinnamon，black；andIropedacubonced。“

“O-h!Inevershotabear。“

“You’doughttotryit。“