FOR YOUNG SHOOTERS 45 



perhaps, that I was going to rally him on his 

 implied connection of himself with the three-legged 

 animal he had mentioned, 'no you don't it 

 wouldn't be funny; and besides, I'm not donkey 

 enough to stand much of Flickers. So just you 

 pitch into him, and the rest of 'em, my bonny 

 boy, next time you put pen to paper.' At this 

 moment my cheerful friend observed a hansom 

 that took his fancy. ' Gad ! ' he said, ' 1 never can 

 resist one of those indiarubber tyres. Ta, ta, old 

 cock keep your pecker up ! Never forget your 

 goloshes when it rains, and always wear flannel 

 next your skin/ and, with that, he sprang into his 

 hansom, ordered the cabman to drive him round 

 the town as long as a florin would last, and was 

 gone. 



Had the captain only stayed with me a little 

 longer, I should have thanked him for his hint, 

 which set me thinking. I know Flickers well. 

 Many a time have I heard that notorious romancer 

 holding forth on his achievements in sport, in 

 love, in society. I have caught him tripping, 

 convicted him of imagination on a score of 

 occasions ; dozens of his acquaintances must have 

 found him out over and over again ; but the fellow 



