IT was evidently more that a mere opinion of my companion. It was a creed. He passionately believed what he said. And thus it was that I discovered in Glacier wilderness a very rare bird, the American black swan, and that in the poet of Springfield whom the village in its ignorance was once scandalised about. Vachel told me how he acted on his creed--What is greater than the power of money? why, contempt of money--and set off without a dime to see America and live, and how the good God took care of him until he got to California. “In that way I learned to respect myself and to respect my fellow-man,” said he. “I learned what a lot of good poor men and women there are in America. And I have nothing to complain of individuals as such. I could always rely on brotherliness. But it was different with institutions, when I went to people who were not themselves but hirelings, people hired to do good. Don’t I know the minions of charity? What are the places where as a tramp I’ve had the stingiest treatment in the world? Why, in institutions from the paid organisers of charity.” And he told of how he once went to a Y at H----, Mo., and the fight he had to get mere soap and towel and a bath. “By Gosh, they weren’t going to give it to me. I said ‘I’ve been a Y.M.C.A. worker myself in New York for years and I know that soap and towel can be had. I know the whole workings of the organisation and I’ll have soap and towel from you if I have to bring the roof down. I’ll go to the editors of the newspapers. I’ll go to the leading ministers and preachers of H---- and I’ll hold you up to shame to the town. I’ll whale you.’ And I got soap and towel and they said, ‘take him down,’ and I got a bath, though I used as much energy to get it from them as would have served to do three days’ hard work. Now I know that if I had gone into any working man’s home in town and asked for it, or even into a hotel I’d have got soap and towel without demur. “Yet my best friend says, ‘Vachel, you’re morbid on the subject of money.’ I said to him ‘Well, there’s a lot in the New Testament about it. Look it up!’” [Illustration] _The gopher-rats are sitting on their tails Watching us all around, listening to us. What is it these queer birds are getting excited about By their camp fire? Money, is it? Money’s no good to the gophers, Leave us a crumb or two. Don’t forget a spot of that fried hash: Squeak!_ [Illustration: WE CLIMBED UP WITH THE TREES BUT CAME DOWN WITH THE WATERS] XXI. DOWN CATARACT MOUNTAIN