de him forget his weight.

"How will you fix it?" asked Ben, fingering the bill with a nervous
thrill all through his wiry limbs, just as he used to feel it when his
father caught him up to dash into the ring.

"Foot it with Billy. It's only four miles, and we've got lots of time,
so we can take it easy. Mother wont care, if I send word by Cy,"
answered Sam, producing half a dollar, as if such magnificent sums were
no strangers to his pocket.

"Come on, Brown; you'll be a first-rate fellow to show us round, as you
know all the dodges," said Billy, anxious to get his money's worth.

"Well, I don't know," began Ben, longing to go, but afraid Mrs. Moss
would say "No!" if he asked leave.

"He's afraid," sneered the red-faced boy, who felt bitterly toward all
mankind at that instant, because he knew there was no hope of _his_
going.

"Say that again, and I'll knock your head off," and Ben faced round
with a gesture which caused the other to skip out of reach
precipitately.

"Hasn't got any money, more likely," observed a shabby youth, whose
pockets never had anything in them but a pair of dirty hands.

Ben calmly produced a dollar bill and waved it defiantly before this
doubter, observing with dignity:

"I've got money enough to treat the whole crowd, if I choose to, which
I _don't_."

"Then come along and have a jolly time with Sam and me. We can buy some
dinner and get a ride home, as like as not," said the amiable Billy,
with a slap on the shoulder, and a cordial grin which made it
impossible for Ben to resist.

"What are you stopping for?" demanded Sam, ready to be off, that they
might "take it easy."

"Don't know what to do with Sancho. He'll get lost or stolen if I take
him, and it's too far to carry him home if you are in a hurry," began
Ben, persuading himself that this was the true reason for his delay.

"Let Cy take him back. He'll do it for a cent; wont you, Cy?" proposed
Billy, smoothing away all objections, for he liked Ben, and saw that he
wanted to go.

"No, I wont; I _don't_ like him. He winks at me, and growls when I
touch him," muttered naughty Cy, remembering how much reason poor Sanch
had to distrust his tormentor.

"There's Bab; she'll do it. Come here, sissy; Ben wants you," called
Sam, beckoning to a small figure just perching on the fence.

Down it jumped and came fluttering up, much elated at being summoned by
the captain of the sacred nine.

"I want you to take Sanch home, and