- [first lines]
- Wildfire: [about him and his mother as they wander the streets and back alleys of the Bowery] We ate at only the best restaurants in the waterfront o' little old New York. Well, behind the best restaurants anyway. Hoffmeier's garbage can belonged to me and my mother. Everybody knew that. That's Ma, working on a steak bone. As for those mongrels, thinking they were going to push us out of the way, that was a large mistake. Although I do not admire the expression, it was strictly dog eat dog on the waterfront.
- [last lines]
- Wildfire: [surrounded by his five newborn puppies] Did you ever try to think of five names?
- Jeremiah Nolan: I could find the place with me eyes shut. You can hear the screaming of the dying dogs a mile away.
- Paddy Corbin: Oh, those are not dogs. They're my customers who've had their credit cut off.
- Patch McGill: Why, I could make a fortune with Wildfire. That's what I call him - Wildfire. Did you ever see a fire start in the grass? It goes wild, sweeps right on through. And that's what he's gonna do - sweep right on through to the championship.
- Mabel Maycroft: Where'd you ever see any grass? They got it down at Floyd Corbin's saloon?
- Patch McGill, Mabel Maycroft: I can make 500 to a thousand dollars a fight.
- Mabel Maycroft: Well, who does he flight, Diamond Jim Brady?
- Patch McGill: Other dogs.
- Mabel Maycroft: What other dogs got that kinda money?
- Patch McGill: People! People pay to watch.