nces.

"How much is you? Shoots de fifty! I'se faded. Gallopers, stan' by me!
Stay soopreem. Bam! An' I reads, six-ace. Deppity--you's done!"

The Wildcat, perspiring copiously in his official robes of supremacy,
got to his feet. He parked the gallopers in his inside pocket. He
reached for Lily's leading string. "Brethren--me an' Lily stahted
soopreem when we come heah. Dat's de way we finishes. I bids you--good
night!"

4.

With Lily at his heels, the favourite of Lady Luck made his way into
the midnight fog which lay above the city. He walked to Market Street,
and at the ferry building he headed down the Embarcadero toward the
pier where the _Empire_ was loading. In the deep shadows cast by a post
in the long pier he removed his trailing robe. He rolled his insignia
under his arm. Under the arc lights along the pier the men of the night
shift were rustling the last of the freight to the _Empire's_ side.

With Lily at his heels, the Wildcat went aboard the ship. The officer
on watch recognized him. "What you doin' out so late, boy? Thought you
run the day shift?"

"Cap'n,--yessuh,--I does. Me an' Lily was projectin' roun' some. Us
ain't got no place to go."

The Wildcat lingered on this last statement. "No place to go." Then he
summoned courage enough to voice a request which expressed a longing
that had developed since he had first known the _Empire's_ destination.

"Cap'n, suh," he said slowly, "kin me an' Lily ride wid you to New
Awl'uns?--Us craves to git south."

"I'll say you can. We need about nine good waiters for the trip."

"Cap'n, suh, dat's me! When us starts I'se de same as nine."

"You're hired. Sign on tomorrow."

In his eagerness the Wildcat jerked heavily at Lily's leading string.
"Come on heah, goat, le's git down in de ol' boat's cellar whah de
kitchen is an' git to work. Say you's 'bliged to de cap'n."

"Blaaa!" Lily voiced her gratitude.

On the third deck down, the Wildcat tied Lily to a stanchion. He threw
his official costume on the deck in front of the mascot goat.

"See kin you eat dis soopreem raiment. Us is done bein' soopreem. Hot
dam! New Awl'uns boun'! Den Memphis--dat's home!"

The Wildcat felt the thick packages of bank notes in the inside pockets
of his yaller suit. "Sho' big money. Money--dis time stan' by me."

"I kin ride a steamboat--I don' pay no fare,
I kin ride a steamboat--anywhere.
Dat's de reason I'se as happy as a bee,
Me an' Lily's Me