of payment ceased. With it, including the
borrowed and juggled thousand, he had incurred an obligation to repay
another staggering sum on the following Saturday night.

Thankful for his escape from the crisis of the moment and a little bit
shaken by the acute peril which had confronted him, he sat heavily at
the pay table, and sagged down in his soopreem robes. He ran his eye
over the pay list, and for the first time he noticed an unpaid
investor. "Pike Canfield--$100.00."

A knock sounded at the outer door. The outer guard clattered in.
"Brotheh Canfield, an' a strange brotheh who desires to be led
straight."

"Tell Brotheh Canfield to enteh unto de Soopreem presence," Honey Tone
returned, according to the ritual. Then, under his breath, "Dam 'at
Trombone nigger. How come he so promp' at de las' minute?"

CHAPTER XX

1.

A little late at the Sutter Street lunch counter by reason of his added
responsibilities at the dock, the Wildcat had found his friend Trombone
impatiently awaiting him.

"Wilecat, does us miss de meetin' Ah loses a hund'ed dollahs. Grab yo'
vittles an' eat on de run!"

"Whut time is you due at de Temple?"

"De meetin' done stahted a houah back--'less us gits dah in fifteen
minnits de do's closed."

"Trombone, us has plenty ob time. Ah 'sorbs mah nutriment in five
minnits--'at leaves ten fo' de trip. Ain't et me nothin' all day,
'ceptin' breakfus' an' some san'wiches at noon time. Sho' been busy
loadin' de ol' _Empire_ fo' N'Awl'uns. Dey made me de gang boss--I'se
got mo' niggers dan ol' cunnel had in de Fust Service Battalion. Sho'
is busy. Niggers craves to mope--ah un-craves 'em like de Lootenant
used to--gits 'em all laffin' so ha'd dey forgits de wuk. Fo' long dey
ain't no mo' w'uk, an' eve'ybody feels noble. Dat's all de talk--heah's
mah ham, sizzlin' in de gravy.... Stan' up heah, Lily; eat dese lettuce
greens."

The Wildcat did an hour's eating in three minutes. "Whuf--ol' rations
sho' tastes noble. Whah at's yo' soopreem ol' leadeh whut pays out de
money? Ah craves to 'vest some mahse'f. Tonight I has money. Las' week
me an' Lily was bust. Le's go!"

Ten minutes later Trombone and the Wildcat, leading Lily, were at the
outer door of the Temple of Luck. There followed the ritual business of
three knocks and the ceremony of admittance.

2.

Honey Tone saw the Wildcat one second before that individual saw the
Soopreem paymaster. One second was enough for Honey Tone.