CHAPTER XI 



RUNNING AN ENTERTAINMENT 



Amateur Brass Band — My Mind Reader — Launched in the Show 

 Business — In the Pay Box — The Show on Tour — Extra Liabihty — 

 A Cheque for a MilUon 



Fishing was the principal fun ; we would take after- 

 noons at it, going from the wharf near my office in 

 a whale boat, and we had splendid sport always. Bill 

 Guesdon, whom I have mentioned as the part owner of 

 Darebin, organised an amateur brass band. He bought 

 all the instruments himself and used to take the boys 

 down the harbour in a ketch to practise— so con- 

 siderate ! He wanted me to learn to play a big brass 

 fellow ; but although I went out in the country for 

 two days, and tried to blow it, my lips weren't strong 

 enough, or something. 



It was some little time after the paper venture that 

 I happened one day to hear of a man, called Professor 

 Rice, who had arrived in Hobart that day by the boat. 

 I thought there might be a bit of copy in him, or 

 perhaps I was curious to know his game, as I was 

 always on the look-out for anything new to make a 

 bit over. I asked the barmaid at the " Ship," and she 

 said he was a conjurer, she thought, or mind reader 

 or something. That set me thinking I would run 

 across him, and that's how I went into the show 

 business for a time. " Here he is," said the barmaid, 

 and in walked a tall spare man with a black moustache, 

 greasy top hat and well-worn frock-coat — a professional 

 of sorts obviously. 



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