TWO SEA INCIDENTS 



with empty pockets and a lot owing on the cuff. That 

 fatal pencil should never be allowed at any gambling 

 game. Suddenly I struck a bright. I went to his 

 friend. " Look here," I said, " that man is in a terrible 

 state ; something will have to be done to restore his 

 mental balance. I think I can do it, but it may cost 

 me five or ten pounds to accomplish it. Do you feel 

 inclined to stand the racket ? I do not wish to explain 

 what I mean : but is that good enough ? " 



The good chap I was talking to told me that he 

 would give double and treble the sum to pull the man 

 right again. He would get it back somehow. " Very 

 well, then," I said, " we'll see what can be done." 

 We rejoined the misery in a few minutes,, and I lighted 

 a fresh cheroot and said : " Oh, by the by, when we get 

 to Maryborough this evening, the captain suggests a 

 rubber of whist." I could see that the bait was a 

 good one, and immediately the face of the " lost one " 

 showed intelligence, but he relapsed into his gloom the 

 next second. " It will be no good to me," he replied. 

 " I should have to sit still the whole evening, and 

 there would not be five shillings' difference between 

 us." "Oh, well, we'll see about that," I added. 

 " What do you say to a game of German whist now ? 

 It will pass the time." At last he agreed. I played 

 as badly as I could, but not so badly as to give myself 

 away. He began winning, and was transformed when 

 he had pouched the first fiver. He actually laughed 

 when this was raised to seven pounds, and ordered a 

 bottle when I had dropped ten and the luncheon bell 

 rang. The man was quite himself again, just that 

 few pounds had done it ; the luck had changed. 

 Don't you see ? He was a man once more. It only 

 cost a tenner — at his friend's expense. 



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