As Whitey sat watching Injun waiting for an accommodating and greedy
pickerel to come along, a great idea was born to him--a fishing
partnership between him and Injun.

And that was why, if Whitey could have been closely watched, one would
have seen him sneaking around the ranch barn every morning, just before
it was time to start for school, and slipping things into his pockets.
And on examination these things would have been seen to be fishing-lines
and hooks of the proper size for pickerel.

And that is why, for about four days a week, Injun and Whitey sat
dangling their feet in the Yellowstone River, catching large flocks of
pickerel, which they peddled to neighboring ranchmen at two bits a
half-dozen. And that is why they were always well supplied with
chewing-gum.

Now, it is not my purpose to defend or excuse this conduct of Injun and
Whitey's, but simply to record it. If you are looking for a moral in
this story, you may find it in what followed on the heels of this
fishing partnership. In the first place, no boy without money may
display things which cost money without attracting attention, followed
by suspicion. Gum costs money, and the chewing of it is a very apparent
action.

Soon Bill Jordan was saying to Jim Walker: "Where d'you s'pose them kids
get all that gum?"

Jim was answering, "Down t' th' Junction."