"Wot tart?" 'e asks. "Yeh mean this Flo?"
"P'r'aps not," I sez. "You ought to know."
I waits to let me words sink in.
An' then--'e beats me with that grin.
"Match-makin', Bill?" 'e laughs. "Oh, 'Ell!
You take up knittin' for a spell."




IX. THE BOYS OUT THERE


The Boys Out There

"WHY do they do it? I dunno,"
Sez Digger Smith. "Yeh got me beat.
Some uv the yarns yeh 'ear is true,
An' some is rather umptydoo,
An' some is--indiscreet.
But them that don't get to the crowd,
Them is the ones would make yeh proud."

With Digger Smith an' other blokes
'Oo 'ave returned it's much the same
They'll talk uv wot they've seen an' done
When they've been out to 'ave their fun;
But no word uv the game.
On fights an' all the tale uv blood