ged if he wasn't bigger than he is now--guess he grows backwards.
Have a banana?" He offered one to Nulty, who refused it. "You pay for
those bananas, you big stiff!" squealed Toddles belligerently.

Hawkeye turned his head slowly and turned his little beady, black eyes
on Toddles, then he turned with a wink to the others, and for the first
time in two years offered payment. He fished into his pocket and
handed Toddles a twenty-dollar bill--there always was a mean streak in
Hawkeye, more or less of a bully, none too well liked, and whose name
on the payroll, by the way, was Reynolds.

"Take fifteen cents out of that," he said, with no idea that the boy
could change the bill.

For a moment Toddles glared at the yellow-back, then a thrill of unholy
glee came to Toddles. He could just about make it, business all around
had been pretty good that day, particularly on the run west in the
morning.

Hawkeye went on with the exposition of his idea of humor at Toddles'
expense; and Toddles went back to his chest and his reserve funds.
Toddles counted out eighteen dollars in bills, made a neat pile of four
quarters--the lead one on the bottom--another neat pile of the odd
change, and returned to Hawkeye. The lead quarter wouldn't go very far
toward liquidating Hawkeye's long-standing indebtedness--but it would
help some.

Hawkeye counted the bills carefully, and crammed them into his pocket.
Toddles dropped the neat little pile of quarters into Hawkeye's
hand--they counted themselves--and Hawkeye put those in his pocket.
Toddles counted out the odd change piece by piece, and as Hawkeye put
_that_ in his pocket--Toddles put his fingers to his nose.

Queer, isn't it--the way things happen? Think of a man's whole life,
aspirations, hopes, ambitions, everything, pivoting on--a lead quarter!
But then they say that opportunity knocks once at the door of every
man; and, if that be true, let it be remarked in passing that Toddles
wasn't deaf!

Hawkeye, making Toddles a target for a parting gibe, took up his
lantern and started through the train to pick up the fares from the
last stop. In due course he halted before the inebriated one with the
glittering tie-pin in the smoking compartment of the parlor car.

"Ticket, please," said Hawkeye.

"Too busy to buysh ticket," the man informed him, with heavy
confidence. "Whash fare Loon Dam to Big Cloud?"

"One-fifty," said Hawkeye curtly.

The man produced a roll of bills, a