too, that the pockets of these boys rarely lacked the jingle of money
which they could spend as they pleased.

When he turned away to hold his hands out toward the stove, he rubbed
them together with satisfaction, for he had discovered more than that.
He knew from their faces that they were trusting little souls, who would
believe any story he might tell them, if he appealed to their sympathies
in the right way. He was considering how to begin, when Malcolm broke
the silence.

"Is that a trained bear?"

The man nodded.

"What can it do?" was the next question.

"Oh, lots of things," answered the man, in a low, whining voice. "Drill
like a soldier, and dance, and ride a stick." He kept his shifty eyes
turning constantly toward the door, as if afraid some one might
overhear him.

"I'd put him through his paces for you young gen'lemen," he said, "but
he got his foot hurt for one thing, and another is, if we went to
showing off, we might be ordered to move on. This is the first time
we've smelled a fire in twenty-four hours, and we ain't in no hurry to
leave it, I can tell you."

"Will he bite?" asked Keith, going up to the huge bear, which had
stretched itself out comfortably on the floor.