"Never Mind, Write Yourself Out Another.
I Don't Mind Signing 'em."
The foreman and the creditor spent several hours trying to explain
banking principles, but Dick "couldn't see it." "There's stacks of 'em
left!" he persisted, showing his book of fluttering bank cheques.
Finally, in despair, the foreman took the cheque-book into custody, and
Dick found himself poor once more.
But it was only for a little while. In an evil hour he discovered that a
cheque from another man's book answered all purposes if it bore that
magic tracery, and Happy Dick was never solvent again. Gaily he signed
cheques, and the foreman did all he could to keep pace with him on the
cheque-book block; but as no one, excepting the accountant in the Darwin
bank, knew the state of his account from day to day, it was like taking a
ticket in a lottery to accept a cheque from Happy Dick.
"Real glad to see you," Happy Dick said in hearty greeting to us all as
he dismounted, and we waited to be entertained. Happy Dick had his
favourite places and people, and the Elsey community stood high in his
favour. "Can't beat the Elsey for a good dog-fight and a good game of
cribbage," he said, every time he came in or left us, and that from Happy
Dick was high praise. At times he added: "Nor for a square meal
neither," thereby inciting Cheon to further triumphs for his approval.
As usual, Happy Dick "played" the Quarters cribbage and related a good
dog-fight - "Peter's latest " - and, as usual before he left us, his
pockets were bulging with tobacco - the highest stakes used in the
Quarters - and Peter and Brown had furnished him with materials for a
still newer dog-fight recital.
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