Therefore I hope that he will never be deceived; because, on its being explained to him, he did not seem altogether easy in his mind. He had been rather of the opinion that his actual money always reposed in the vaults he had seen in the cities. As to Liberty Bonds for the winning of the war, Tom had been solicited by an employee prior to my arrival. “I’ll match you buying bonds, when the boss comes.” “Match me?” inquired Tom, not grasping the idea. “Yes—every dollar you spend, I’ll match you.” “Dollar for dollar,” said Tom, “one dollar, me; one dollar, you?” “That’s the game.” “Well,” said Tommie, who always played as safely as he could, “I don’t know these games; but you get your check-book ready.” He patiently waited through my talk to the curious but not over eager crowd, and then he came forward. “This man, Leaming,” he announced, indicating the employee,—a gentleman who has nominated himself in a number of campaigns for the mayoralty of Polacca, and invariably lost to the water-witch,—“this man wants to match me in buying bonds. I don’t know about that. I haven’t any cash to spare to-day,—but will you take him?” The “him” was a piece of paper. “If you take him, all right with me.” “Is Mr. Leaming to cover this purchase?” I asked. “He tell me so. I buy—he matches me.” “That’s my proposal,” said Mr. Leaming, repressing a strong desire to view the figures on the slip. “But, Tommie, this certificate of deposit will not mature for thirty days. Withdrawal at this time may cost you six months’ interest, although I think I can arrange it that you will lose no interest. And another point—I am anxious to sell bonds, but this certificate bears interest at four and one-half per cent, and your bond will pay only four per cent. You may lose six months’ interest, and you will surely lose one-half of one per cent interest each year.” “I know all that, lo-lo-mi,” he answered; “Washington has a war, and needs the money. But you see that he covers it.” “Lo-lo-mi,” I agreed heartily; “Mr. Leaming will please write his check for one thousand dollars, while Tommie endorses this certificate of deposit.” Two thousand in the first sale. It started them. The closest financial shark of all the Indians present hurried to his sand-bank and came back with four hundred dollars. And Leaming grinned a golden grin of relief when he produced his thousand to match the first sale. “Tommie had me worried,” the genial principal admitted. “I could meet him for several thousands, but Tom might have sold his herd of cattle, and I should have lost caste throughout the whole district.”