be said, and Johnnie had his well arm
thoroughly shaken before One-Eye helped him climb the stairs. He would
gladly have prolonged his leave-taking. For one thing, he had not half
inspected that mammoth basement--not to mention the huge, dim place
overhead. And the horse that had kicked him merited a second look. But
"Let's go whilst the goin's good," counseled One-Eye. So Johnnie fell in
beside him, holding well to the front that interesting bandage.

"Y' live far?" One-Eye wanted to know. This was when they were out by
that lamp post which had lighted Johnnie's reading.

"Clear 'way down to the other end of Broadway almost," boasted Johnnie.
"'N' then you go over towards the Manhattan Bridge."

"That so! Clear way down!--And how'd y' git up this far?" That green eye
was as keen as a blade.

"Rode up--in a' automobile." Johnnie did not like to spoil the picture
by explaining that the automobile was a truck, and that he had found it
strewn with chicken-feathers.

"All right," returned One-Eye. "Then we'll ride _down_." Inserting a
knuckle into his mouth between two widely separated teeth that were like
lone sentinels, he blew a high, piercing summons. At the same time, he
swung his arm at a passing taxicab, stopping it almost electrically. And
the thing was done.

As the taxicab rolled to the curb, Johnnie turned his back upon it for a
last look at the palace. How huge it was! "And I'll bet the Afercan
magician couldn't even move it," he decided. He promised himself that
one day he would come back to it, and climb to its several towers.

"A-a-a-a-all aboard!" One-Eye lit a large, magnificently banded cigar.
He handed a second, fully as thick and splendid, to the staring, but
respectful, individual who was to drive them--a young, dark man, very
dirty, and in his shirt-sleeves (he was seated upon his coat), who
seemed so impressed by the elder of his passengers as to be beyond
speech. "Over t' Broadway, and down," instructed One-Eye. "We'll tell y'
when t' whoa."

Calmly Johnnie climbed into the taxicab, and carelessly he took his
seat. Then the car plunged westward before a reeking cloud of its own
smoke. Under way, he elevated that small nose of his and drank deep of
the--to him--good smell of gasoline. Had not his Aunt Sophie often
pronounced it clean and healthy?

However, despite this upward tilting, he did not appear to be at all
proud of the fact that he was riding; and One-Eye fell to watching him,
tha