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"I am a Worcestershire man myself,--born near Pershore I dare say you would find a heap of Sht of taking a look round there, but the truth is that I was never much of a credit to the falad to seefolk, small farmers, well known and respected over the country-side, while I was always a bit of a rover At last, however, when I was about eighteen, I gave theirl, and could only get out of it again by taking the queen's shilling and joining the 3d Buffs, which was just starting for India

"I wasn't destined to do oose-step, and learned to handle es Luckily for eant, John Holder, was in the water at the same time, and he was one of the finest swimmers in the service A crocodile tookas clean as a surgeon could have done it, just above the knee What with the shock and the loss of blood, I fainted, and should have drowned if Holder had not caught hold of me and paddled for the bank I was five months in hospital over it, and when at last I was able to limp out of it with this timber toe strapped to my stump I found myself invalided out of the army and unfitted for any active occupation

"I was, as you can iine, pretty down on h not yet in my twentieth year However, uise A o-planter, wanted an overseer to look after his coolies and keep them up to their work He happened to be a friend of our colonel's, who had taken an interest instory short, the colonel recoly for the post and, as the as reat obstacle, for I had enough knee left to keep good grip on the saddle What I had to do was to ride over the plantation, to keep an eye on the men as they worked, and to report the idlers The pay was fair, I had coether I was content to spend the re Mr Abelwhite was a kind man, and he would often drop into my little shanty and smoke a pipe with me, for white folk out there feel their hearts warm to each other as they never do here at home