The morning times., 1897-01-17


ever played this game before?'' in
ouired a urgooa-lieutenant-coio-
mel in a superior manner.
"A little" replied Mokely, with a
dangerous humility that conceals conscious
superiority
.Wherc?''
at ChIn-kin.'
The table sat tight with one accord and
Mokely got no satisfaction
They of Chin-kin heard the tale with
complancency. High play, hard play, fast
ulay and straight play, that was their game,
and they knew it, and in their heart or
hearts VI ldhave challenged the world
Then FIeechy arrived, and they discovered
that they were amateurs, the merest uAeO-
tauti. His name was Giovanni feilce,
l,irr we S oon Iearncdt to call him Fleechy, and
felt ourselves to be linguIsts
In after wears, when we were asked
whether we knew Italian, we would reply:
"A little; but rather out Of practice, you
povr - Then we would mention Felce,
calling him Fleechy; and we would hum
In an attracted, casual manner: soh
feIice. son beato''; and our reputation was
secure.
To cane I'm with an expedition in 1856.
He had intended to proceed as far as the
rubv mines. but having sprained, or as
he himself expressed it, ''stranguldted
his ankle, he decided TO remain at I hili-All'
And he proceeded to make money
when say make money / mean 1t, lie
had the faculty of creating business ne
woald have created flourishing business
in the bush: he could have made his
pile in a ghetto.
He was Sixty and fat and equity. He
had considerable difficulty in signing hls
name. And IN small matters he was selfish
with the highly developed selfishness
OF old age. But he spent his money like
gentleman and among gentlemen, and
in curse of time we learned to like him,
toadmire hinl-even to revere him.
when first l saw Flcechy he was seated
o. the verandah of the little hut which
served US for club house. He had been
much impressed by the temerity OF young
civilian wto 0 had consigned major genera
10 a hotter place than Upper Burma.
..'E only twenty years old. an e tell-i
20 general, Go to ze devil Il viii rise
that oungstcr, assure you. Il say to Y
General. GO TO re devil My Goth!
tell YOU 'e villa rise."
Cheeky young swiner' growled ou
colonel. "oughtcr been kicked"
FIeecty resumed TRANQUILITY
u ascend in re transr ort steamaire. Al
ve Tommies 'e sleepin' on deck. Such q
crowed-a Tommies you never see! same
like bairings in ze sea. One Tommie, =
say, Jack, take your blooming-a feet out
INV mouth Heb! heb! heh!"
His wheezy old laugh set us all in a goo'
temper.
when l comm down Ze gangway Il
20 ashore. a Ieetly Madrassee boy get IL
nv way. Very lcetly, only four years OLD
FolJack YOU nevaire see. 'E got no clothe
on except tin heart, STAMPED 'Hepps
Cocoa So / jomp to cne SIDE FOR no
80 Suep ON i'm. an so I strangulate my
ankle. That is why stop at Chin kin
our feeling towards Fleechy was at first
q somewhat contemptuous liberation. HI
was really too illiterate for anything, ant
his Stories-well, for an old man, decided.
advanced But his mind, blank as re
CARDS ook learning, was an encyclopedias
as regards human nature
wat for you yong men TO marry 70
go1d looks, for loY?'' he asked cynically
one evening You should-a marry FOL
moanaie Eat is ze important Eat is z
principal By Goth, wat is-a looks!
'Ansome or not 'ansome. It is all z
same, after week. 1t comes toujours 70
bif. an you not find it amusing. i assur
YOU. 1 done it myself"
We used TO laugh at this sort OF thing
being young men. A young mans sou
deserts him for a space, and only come
home again when the home is swept ant
garnished 1t is rare for man to see th'
homecoming of mans soul. 1t usual.
woman who sees this phenomenon Blu
they who have seen it say that the man.