That lighted the divine spark of brotherhood!

“Ah, you come along with us—­we’ll take yer!  You don’t want to go in there.  We’ll show yer the boss place in Market Street.  We won’t lose yer.”  So, shouting together in their shrill little city trebles, they clustered about him, and one pulled at his coat to start him.  He started obediently, and walked in their charge, they leading the way.

“Christmas is comin’ now, sure,” said Lin, grinning to himself.  “It ain’t exactly what I figured on.”  It was the first time he had laughed since Cheyenne, and he brushed a hand over his eyes, that were dim with the new warmth in his heart.

Believing at length in him and his turkey, the alert street faces, so suspicious of the unknown, looked at him with ready intimacy as they went along; and soon, in the friendly desire to make him acquainted with Denver, the three were patronizing him.  Only Billy, perhaps, now and then stole at him a doubtful look.

The large Country Mouse listened solemnly to his three Town Mice, who presently introduced him to the place in Market Street.  It was not boss, precisely, and Denver knows better neighborhoods; but the turkey and the oyster stew were there, with catsup and vegetables in season, and several choices of pie.  Here the Country Mouse became again efficient; and to witness his liberal mastery of ordering and imagine his pocket and its wealth, which they had heard and partly seen, renewed in the guests a transient awe.  As they dined, however, and found the host as frankly ravenous as themselves, this reticence evaporated, and they all grew fluent with oaths and opinions.  At one or two words, indeed, Mr. McLean stared and had a slight sense of blushing.

“Have a cigarette?” said the leader, over his pie.

“Thank yu’,” said Lin.  “I won’t smoke, if yu’ll excuse me.”  He had devised a wholesome meal, with water to drink.

“Chewin’s no good at meals,” continued the boy.  “Don’t you use tobaccer?”

“Onced in a while.”

The leader spat brightly.  “He ain’t learned yet,” said he, slanting his elbows at Billy and sliding a match over his rump.  “But beer, now—­I never seen anything in it.”  He and Towhead soon left Billy and his callow profanities behind, and engaged in a town conversation that silenced him, and set him listening with all his admiring young might.  Nor did Mr. McLean join in the talk, but sat embarrassed by this knowledge, which seemed about as much as he knew himself.

“I’ll be goshed,” he thought, “if I’d caught on to half that when I was streakin’ around in short pants!  Maybe they grow up quicker now.”  But now the Country Mouse perceived Billy’s eager and attentive apprenticeship.  “Hello, boys!” he said, “that theatre’s got a big start on us.”

They had all forgotten he had said anything about theatre, and other topics left their impatient minds, while the Country Mouse paid the bill and asked to be guided to the Opera-house.  “This man here will look out for your blackin’ and truck, and let yu’ have it in the morning.”