332 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



return, and having given an account of the wonders he had 

 seen, announced that he could make money. Satisfaction 

 at such gift being tempered by doubt, the boy took his 

 stand before the expectant semicircle, and having ad- 

 mirably mimicked a conjuror's patter, shouted " Money ! " 

 A half-crown flashed in the air to be deftly caught and 

 exhibited on the boy's palm. 



This trick was repeated nightly. Conscious of the 

 independence that money gives, the whole camp became 

 demoralised, until investigation showed that the boy had a 

 trained confederate in the person of his gin, who, standing 

 apart, on the word, flicked the half-crown in the air. The 

 boy lost his reputation as a maker of money, and his sole 

 coin that self-same night. 



HONOURABLE CHASTISEMENT 



At a camp of the Native Mounted Police the sergeant 

 reported a trooper for beating his gin. "What you bin 

 doing, Paddy?" asked the sub-inspector. "You bin 

 hammer 'em Topsy?" Paddy, at the salute "Yes, sir, 

 please sir, me bin hammer 'em that fella. That fella too 

 flash ; me no bin hammer 'em all asame black-fella. 

 Hammer 'em all asame white man, alonga strap." Con- 

 sidering the customary means a black adopts to correct 

 the indiscretions of his spouse, Paddy's offence was judged 

 far too trivial for punishment. Topsy, too, was quite vain 

 that Paddy had chastised her with all dignity and in- 

 dulgence of a white man. 



"AND YOU TOO" 



Two ladies, who were wont to meet at infrequent in- 

 tervals, spent the delightful morning in the settlement of 

 arrears of gossip, while two black gins sat in the shade of 

 a mango-tree, smoked incessantly and did nothing 



