hard sledding

When things got so Wolfe had to cut down expenses […] , Saul Panzer and I got our weekly envelopes sliced, but [Fred] Durkin's was stopped altogether. Wolfe called him in when he was needed and paid him by the day, so I still saw him off and on and knew he was having hard sledding. […]

"Hello, Fred do I owe you something?"

[…] "How are you, Mr. Wolfe. I wish to God you did. If there was anybody owed me anything I'd be with him like a saddle on a horse."