o meet you, Mistah Daniels. Did you come out ob de lion's den
or de Navy?"

"Neither one. I'se a Bummin'ham Republican."

The Wildcat reached for his letter. "Gimme back dat letter. No boy f'm
Alabam' is safe wid a money letter."

"How come?"

"Wust cleanin' I ever got in a' cube ruckus come off a Bummin'ham boy."

"Money come, money go. What you gonna' do when you gits yo' thousan'
dollahs?"

"Fish business. I aims to start me a fried fish wagon in Poteland.
Figgah out de profits. Heah's de ol' rivah dusty wid smelt fish. Heah's
de Poteland niggahs cravin' to 'sorb fish mawnin', night, an' noon. I
gits me some fryin' pans an' I cooks me up some fresh fish every day.
Dey don't cost me nuthin'. I collects two bits a panful. 'At runs into
big money."

Dwindle Daniels did some fast financial thinking.

"How does you aim to cook fish an' ketch 'em bofe, wid de Columbia
river six miles f'm Poteland?"

The Wildcat hadn't thought of this detail. He made his associate a
proposition.

"Dwindle, s'pose you 'filiates with me. Us ketches de fust wagon-load;
den I fries fish an' collects de money whilst you ketches mo' fish."

"De fust day 'at's all right. Second day I's treasurer."

"Suits me."

For the next twenty miles the two fish financiers dived into the
details of their commercial venture, and when the train slowed for the
bridge leading across the Willamette to Union Station in Portland their
plans were completed.

At the street gates of Union Station a policeman directed the Wildcat
to the railroad offices. He lost the trail and wandered around for half
an hour, but finally, with the assistance of a hundred questions, he
made port.

An elevator boy directed him to the treasurer's offices, wherein
presently he received a slip of blue paper in the lower right hand
corner of which was the treasurer's signature.

"Cap'n, suh, what's dat?"

"That's a check for a thousand dollars."

"Dis papah?"

The Wildcat looked sideways at the check. "Whah at does I git de hard
jinglin' money?"

"Any bank. Sign your name on the back of that check and any bank will
cash it."

"Cap'n, suh, I ain't nevah learned to write. Kin you all help me wid
dis papah?"

The clerk signed the Wildcat's name and underneath the signature the
Wildcat made his mark.

"Stick here a minute and I'll get the money for you."

The clerk departed and returned presently with two thick packages of
ten dollar bills.

"Money, howdy doo!