uncivilised for you, what about Africa?'

"'What's the good of Africa?' replies he; 'you don't read advertisements
in the "Clerkenwell News": "Young men wanted as explorers." I'd drift
into a barber's shop at Cape Town more likely than anything else.'

"'What about the gold diggings?' I suggests. I like to see a youngster
with the spirit of adventure in him. It shows grit as a rule.

"'Played out,' says he. 'You are employed by a company, wages ten
dollars a week, and a pension for your old age. Everything's played
out,' he continues. 'Men ain't wanted nowadays. There's only room for
clerks, and intelligent artisans, and shopboys.'

"'Go for a soldier,' says I; 'there's excitement for you.'

"'That would have been all right,' says he, 'in the days when there was
real fighting.'

"'There's a good bit of it going about nowadays,' I says. 'We are
generally at it, on and off, between shouting about the blessings of
peace.'

"'Not the sort of fighting I mean,' replies he; 'I want to do something
myself, not be one of a row.'

"'Well,' I says, 'I give you up. You've dropped into the wrong world it
seems to me. We don't seem able to cater for you here.'

"'I've come a bit too late,' he answers; 'that's the mistake I've made.