The　guests　had　arrived　in　buckboards　and　on
  horseback；　and　were　making　themselves　comfortable
  inside。
  The　evening　went　along　pleasantly。　　The　guests
  enjoyed　and　praised　Rosita's　excellent　supper；　and　after…
  ward　the　men　scattered　in　groups　about　the　rooms　or
  on　the　broad　〃gallery；〃　smoking　and　chatting。
  The　Christmas　tree；　of　course；　delighted　the　youngsters；
  and　above　all　were　they　pleased　when　Santa　Claus　himself
  in　magnificent　white　beard　and　furs　appeared　and　began
  to　distribute　the　toys。
  〃It's　my　papa；〃　announced　Billy　Sampson；　aged　six。
  〃I've　seen　him　wear　'em　before。〃
  Berkly；　a　sheepman；　an　old　friend　of　Lane；　stopped
  Rosita　as　she　was　passing　by　him　on　the　gallery；　where
  he　was　sitting　smoking。
  〃Well；　Mrs。　Lane；〃　said　he；　〃I　suppose　by　this　Christ…
  mas　you've　gotten　over　being　afraid　of　that　fellow　McRoy；
  haven't　you？　　Madison　and　I　have　talked　about　it；　you
  know。〃
  〃Very　nearly；〃　said　Rosita；　smiling；　〃but　I　am　still
  nervous　sometimes。　　I　shall　never　forget　that　awful　time
  when　he　came　so　near　to　killing　us。〃
  〃He's　the　most　cold…hearted　villain　in　the　world；〃　said
  Berkly。　　〃The　citizens　all　along　the　border　ought　to
  turn　out　and　hunt　him　down　like　a　wolf。〃
  〃He　has　committed　awful　crimes；〃　said　Rosita；　but
  I　　don't　　know。　　I　think　there　is　a　spot　of　good
  somewhere　in　everybody。　　He　was　not　always　bad
  that　I　know。〃
  Rosita　turned　into　the　hallway　between　the　rooms。
  Santa　Claus；　in　muffling　whiskers　and　furs；　was　just
  coming　through。
  〃I　heard　what　you　said　through　the　window；　Mrs。
  Lane；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　just　going　down　in　my
  pocket　for　a　Christmas　present　for　your　husband。　　But
  I've　left　one　for　you；　instead。　　It's　in　the　room　to　your
  right。〃
  〃Oh；　thank　you；　kind　Santa　Claus；〃　said　Rosita；
  brightly。
  Rosita　went　into　the　room；　while　Santa　Claus　stepped
  into　the　cooler　air　of　the　yard。
  She　found　no　one　in　the　room　but　Madison。
  〃Where　is　my　present　that　Santa　said　he　left　for　me
  in　here？〃　　she　asked。
  〃Haven't　seen　anything　in　the　way　of　a　present；〃　said
  her　husband；　laughing；　〃unless　he　could　have　meant　me。〃
  The　next　day　Gabriel　Radd；　the　foreman　of　the　X　0
  Ranch；　dropped　into　the　post…office　at　Loma　Alta。
  〃Well；　the　Frio　Kid's　got　his　dose　of　lead　at　last；〃　he
  remarked　to　the　postmaster。
  〃That　so？　　How'd　it　happen？〃
  〃One　of　old　Sanchez's　Mexican　sheep　herders　did　it！
  think　of　it！　　the　Frio　Kid　killed　bv　a　sheep　herder！
  The　Greaser　saw　him　riding　along　past　his　camp　about
  twelve　o'clock　last　night；　and　was　so　skeered　that　he　up
  with　a　Winchester　and　let　him　have　it。　　Funniest　part　of
  it　was　that　the　Kid　was　dressed　all　up　with　white　Angora…
  skin　whiskers　and　a　regular　Santy　Claus　rig…out　from　head
  to　foot。　　Think　of　the　Frio　Kid　playing　Santy！〃
  A　LITTLE　LOCAL　COLOUR
  I　mentioned　to　Rivington　that　I　was　in　search　of
  characteristic　New　York　scenes　and　incidents　　some…
  thing　typical；　I　told　him；　without　necessarily　having　to
  spell　the　first　syllable　with　an　〃i。〃
  〃Oh；　for　your　writing　business；〃　said　Rivington；　〃you
  couldn't　have　applied　to　a　better　shop。　　What　I　don't
  know　about　little　old　New　York　wouldn't　make　a　sonnet
  to　a　sunbonnet。　　I'll　put　you　right　in　the　middle　of　so
  much　local　colour　that　you　won't　know　whether　you　are
  a　magazine　cover　or　in　the　erysipelas　ward。　　When　do
  you　want　to　begin？〃
  Rivington　is　a　young…man…about…town　and　a　New
  Yorker　by　birth；　preference　and　incommutability。
  I　told　him　that　I　would　be　glad　to　accept　his　escort　and
  guardianship　so　that　I　might　take　notes　of　Manhattan's
  grand；　gloomy　and　peculiar　idiosyncrasies；　and　that　the
  time　of　so　doing　would　be　at　his　own　convenience。
  〃We'll　begin　this　very　evening；〃　said　Rivington；　him…
  self　interested；　like　a　good　fellow。　　〃Dine　with　me　at
  seven；　and　then　I'll　steer　'you　up　against　metropolitan
  phases　so　thick　you'll　have　to　have　a　kinetoscope　to
  record　'em。〃
  So　I　dined　with　Rivington　pleasantly　at　his　club；　in
  Forty…eleventh　street；　and　then　we　set　forth　in　pursuit
  of　the　elusive　tincture　of　affairs。
  As　we　came　out　of　the　club　there　stood　two　men　on　the
  sidewalk　near　the　steps　in　earnest　conversation。
  〃And　by　what　process　of　ratiocination；〃　said　one　of
  them；　〃do　you　arrive　at　the　conclusion　that　the　division
  of　society　into　producing　and　non…possessing　classes
  predicates　failure　when　compared　with　competitive
  systems　that　are　monopolizing　in　tendency　and　result
  inimically　to　industrial　evolution？〃
  〃Oh；　come　off　your　perch！〃　　said　the　other　man；　who
  wore　glasses。　　〃Your　premises　won't　come　out　in　the
  wash。　　You　wind…jammers　who　apply　bandy…legged
  theories　to　concrete　categorical　syllogisms　send　logical
  conclusions　skallybootin'　into　the　infinitesimal　ragbag。
  You　can't　pull　my　leg　with　an　old　sophism　with　whiskers
  on　it。　　You　quote　Marx　and　Hyndman　and　Kautsky　…
  what　are　they？　　　shines！　　Tolstoi？　　　his　garret　is　full　of
  rats。　　I　put　it　to　you　over　the　home…plate　that　the　idea
  of　a　cooperative　commonwealth　and　an　abolishment　of
  competitive　systems　simply　takes　the　rag　off　the　bush　and
  gives　me　hyperesthesia　of　the　roopteetoop！　　The　skoo…
  kum　house　for　yours！
  I　stopped　a　few　yards　away　and　took　out　my　little
  notebook。
  〃Oh；　come　ahead；〃　said　Rivington；　somewhat　ner…
  vously；　〃you　don't　want　to　listen　to　that。〃
  〃Why　man；〃　I　whispered；　〃this　is　just　what　I　do
  want　to　hear。　　These　slang　types　are　among　your　city's
  most　distinguishing　features。　　Is　this　the　Bowery　variety？
  I　really　must　hear　more　of　it。〃
  〃If　I　follow　you；〃　said　the　man　who　had　spoken　flrst；
  〃you　do　not　believe　it　possible　to　reorganize　society　on
  the　basis　of　common　interest？〃
  〃Shinny　on　your　own　side！〃　　said　the　man　with　glasses。
  〃You　never　heard　any　such　music　from　my　foghorn。
  What　I　said　was　that　I　did　not　believe　it　practicable　just
  now。　　The　guys　with　wads　are　not　in　the　frame　of
  mind　to　slack　up　on　the　mazuma；　and　the　man　with　the
  portable　tin　banqueting　canister　isn't　exactly　ready　to
  join　the　Bible　class。　　You　can　bet　your　variegated　socks
  that　the　situation　is　all　spifflicated　up　from　the　Battery　to
  breakfast！　　What　the　country　needs　is　for　some　bully　old
  bloke　like　Cobden　or　some　wise　guy　like　old　Ben　Frank…
  lin　to　sashay　up　to　the　front　and　biff　the　nigger's　head
  with　the　baseball。　　Do　you　catch　my　smoke？　　What？〃
  Rivington　pulled　me　by　the　arm　impatiently。
  〃Please　come　on；〃　he　said。　　〃Let's　go　see　something。
  This　isn't　what　you　want。〃
  〃Indeed；　it　is；〃　I　said　resisting。　　〃This　tough　talk　is
  the　very　stuff　that　counts。　　There　is　a　picturesqueness
  about　the　speech　of　the　lower　order　of　people　that　is　quite
  unique。　　Did　you　say　that　this　is　the　Bowery　variety
  of　slang？〃
  〃Oh；　well；〃　said　Rivington；　giving　it　up；　〃I'll　tell　you
  straight。　　That's　one　of　our　college　professors　talking。
  He　ran　down　for　a　day　or　two　at　the　club。　　It's　a　sort
  of　fad　with　him　lately　to　use　slang　in　his　conversation。
  He　thinks　it　improves　language。　　The　man　he　is　talking
  to　is　one　of　New　York's　famous　social　economists。　　Now
  will　you　come　on。　　You　can't　use　that；　you　know。〃
  〃No；〃　I　agreed；　〃I　can't　use　that。　　Would　you　call
  that　typical　of　New　York？〃
  〃Of　course　not；〃　said　Rivington；　with　a　sigh　of　relief。
  〃I'm　glad　you　see　the　difference。　　But　if　you　want　to
  hear　the　real　old　tough　Bowery　slang　I'll　take　you　down
  where　you'll　get　your　fill　of　it。〃
  〃I　would　like　it；〃　I　said；　〃that　is；　if　it's　the　real　thing。
  I've　often　read　it　in　books；　but　I　never　heard　it。　　Do
  you　think　it　will　be　dangerous　to　go　unprotected　among
  those　characters　？
  〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Rivington；　〃not　at　this　time　of　night。
  To　tell　the　truth；　I　haven't　been　along　the　Bowery　in　a
  long　time；　but　I　know　it　as　well　as　I　do　Broadway。　　We'll
  look　up　some　of　the　typical　Bowery　boys　and　get　them　to
  talk。　　It'll　be　worth　your　while。　　They　talk　a　peculiar
  dialect　that　you　won't　hear　any…where　else　on　earth。〃
  Rivington　and　I　went　east　in　a　Forty…second　street　car
  and　then　south　on　the　Third　avenue　line。
  At　Houston　street　we　got　off　and　walked。
  〃We　are　now　on　the　famous　Bowery；〃　said　Rivington；
  〃the　Bowery　celebrated　in　song　and　story。〃
  We　passed　block　after　block　of　〃gents'〃　furnishing
  stores　　the　windows　full　of　shirts　with　prices　attached
  and　cuffs　inside。　　In　other　windows　were　neckties　and
  no　shirts。　　People　walked　up　and　down　the　sidewalks。
  〃In　some　ways；〃　said　I；　〃this　reminds　me　of　Koko…
  mono；　Ind。；　during　the　peach…crating　season。〃
  Rivington　was　nettled。
  〃Step　into　one　of　these　saloons　or　vaudeville　shows；〃
  said　he；　〃with　a　large　roll　of　money；　and　see　how　quickly
  the　Bowery　will　sustain　its　reputation。〃
  〃You　make　impossible　conditions；〃　said　I；　coldly。
  By　and　by　Rivington　stopped　and　said　we　were　in　the
  heart　of　the　Bowe