第38章 A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF CHRISTMAS(11)

But canticles and responses followed,with so little talking between them they were held spellbound,seldom thinking to rise or kneel.Lin's eyes roved over the church,dwelling upon the pillars in their evergreen,the flowers and leafy wreaths,the texts of white and gold."'Peace,good-will towards men,'"he read."That's so.Peace and good-will.Yes,that's so.I expect they got that somewheres in the Bible.It's awful good,and you'd never think of it yourself."There was a touch on his arm,and a woman handed a book to him."This is the hymn we have now,"she whispered,gently;and Lin,blushing scarlet,took it passively without a word.He and Billy stood up and held the book together,dutifully reading the words:

"It came upon the midnight clear,That glorious song of old,From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold;Peace on the earth--"

This tune was more beautiful than all,and Lin lost himself in it,until he found Billy recalling him with a finger upon the words,the concluding ones:

"And the whole world sent back the song Which now the angels sing."The music rose and descended to its lovely and simple end;and,for a second time in Denver,Lin brushed a hand across his eyes.He turned his face from his neighbor,frowning crossly;and since the heart has reasons which Reason does not know,he seemed to himself a fool;but when the service was over and he came out,he repeated again,"'Peace and good-will.'When I run on to the Bishop of Wyoming I'll tell him if he'll preach on them words I'll be there.""Couldn't we shoot your pistol now?"asked Billy.

"Sure,boy.Ain't yu'hungry,though?"

"No.I wish we were away off up there.Don't you?""The mountains?They look pretty,so white!A heap better 'n houses.Why,we'll go there!There's trains to Golden.We'll shoot around among the foothills."To Golden they immediately went,and after a meal there,wandered in the open country until the cartridges were gone,the sun was low,and Billy was walked off his young heels--a truth he learned complete in one horrid moment,and battled to conceal.

"Lame!"he echoed,angrily."I ain't."

"Shucks!"said Lin,after the next ten steps."You are,and both feet.""Tell you,there's stones here,an'I'm just a-skipping them."Lin,briefly,took the boy in his arms and carried him to Golden."I'm played out myself,"he said,sitting in the hotel and looking lugubriously at Billy on a bed."And I ain't fit to have charge of a hog."He came and put his hand on the boy's head.

"I'm not sick,"said the cripple."I tell you I'm bully.You wait an'see me eat dinner."But Lin had hot water and cold water and salt,and was an hour upon his knees bathing the hot feet.And then Billy could not eat dinner!

There was a doctor in Golden;but in spite of his light preion and most reasonable observations,Mr.McLean passed a foolish night of vigil,while Billy slept,quite well at first,and,as the hours passed,better and better.In the morning he was entirely brisk,though stiff.

"I couldn't work quick to-day,"he said."But I guess one day won't lose me my trade.""How d'yu'mean?"asked Lin.

"Why,I've got regulars,you know.Sidney Ellis an'Pete Goode has theirs,an'we don't cut each other.I've got Mr.Daniels an'Mr.Fisher an'lots,an'if you lived in Denver I'd shine your boots every day for nothing.I wished you lived in Denver.""Shine my boots?Yu'll never!And yu'don't black Daniels or Fisher,or any of the outfit.""Why,I'm doing first-rate,"said Billy,surprised at the swearing into which Mr.McLean now burst."An'I ain't big enough to get to make money at any other job.""I want to see that engine-man,"muttered Lin."I don't like your smokin' friend."

"Pete Goode?Why,he's awful smart.Don't you think he's smart?""Smart's nothin',"observed Mr.McLean.

"Pete has learned me and Sidney a lot,"pursued Billy,engagingly.

"I'll bet he has!"growled the cow-puncher;and again Billy was taken aback at his language.

It was not so simple,this case.To the perturbed mind of Mr.McLean it grew less simple during that day at Golden,while Billy recovered,and talked,and ate his innocent meals.The cow-puncher was far too wise to think for a single moment of restoring the runaway to his debauched and shiftless parents.Possessed of some imagination,he went through a scene in which he appeared at the Lusk threshold with Billy and forgiveness,and intruded upon a conjugal assault and battery."Shucks!"said he."The kid would be off again inside a week.And I don't want him there,anyway."Denver,upon the following day,saw the little bootblack again at his corner,with his trade not lost;but near him stood a tall,singular man,with hazel eyes and a sulky expression.And citizens during that week noticed,as a new sight in the streets,the tall man and the little boy walking together.Sometimes they would be in shops.The boy seemed as happy as possible,talking constantly,while the man seldom said a word,and his face was serious.

Upon New-year's Eve Governor Barker was overtaken by Mr.McLean riding a horse up Hill Street,Cheyenne.

"Hello!"said Barker,staring humorously through his glasses."Have a good drunk?""Changed my mind,"said Lin,grinning."Proves I've got one.Struck Christmas all right,though.""Who's your friend?"inquired his Excellency.

"This is Mister Billy Lusk.Him and me have agreed that towns ain't nice to live in.If Judge Henry's foreman and his wife won't board him at Sunk Creek--why,I'll fix it somehow."The cow-puncher and his Responsibility rode on together toward the open plain.

"Sufferin Moses!"remarked his Excellency.