How correct I was in my surmise, and how pecu
liarly appropriate the verse was, you shall learn.

"I won t stand it much longer, I won t," he was
complaining to the man on the other side of him.
"I ll smash a windy, a big un, an get run in for
fourteen days. Then I ll have a good place to sleep,
never fear, an better grub than you get here.
Though I d miss my bit of baccy " this as an after
thought, and said regretfully and resignedly.

"I ve been out two nights, now," he went on;
"wet to the skin night before last, an I can t stand
it much longer. I m crettin old, an some mornin
they ll pick me up dead."

He whirled with fierce passion on me: " Don t
you ever let yourself grow old, lad. Die when
you re young, or you ll come to this. I m tellin
you sure. Seven an eighty years am I, an served
my country like a man. Three good conduct
stripes and the Victoria Cross, an this is what I
get for it. I wish I was dead, I wish I was dead.
Can t come any too quick for me, I tell you."

The moisture rushed into his eyes, but, before
the other man could comfort him, he began to hum
a lilting sea song as though there was no such thing
as heartbreak in the world.

Given encouragement, this is the story he told
while waiting in line at the workhouse after two
nights of exposure in the streets.

[[68]]

p067 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p068w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p069

v?