. . . . . . . . .

We ‘ad the darnce.  An’, spite uv all Begg’s fears,
Jim darnced like ’e could keep it up for years;
  Mostly with Flo.  We don’t let up till three;
  An’ then ole Peter Begg, Doreen an’ me
We walk together ‘ome, an’ on the way,
Doreen ’as quite a lot uv things to say.

“Did you see Flo?” sez she.  “Don’t she look grand? 
That Jim’s the luckiest in all the land—­
  An’ little Smith—­that girl uv ’is, I’m sure,
  She’ll bring ’im ’appiness that will endure.” 
She ’ugs my arm, then sez, “’Usband or wife,
If it’s the right one, is the wealth uv life.”

I sneaks a look at Begg, an’ answers, “Yes,
Yeh’re right, ole girl; that’s the reel ’appiness. 
  An’ if ole, lonely growlers was to know
  The worth uv ’appy marridge ’ere below,
They’d swap their bank-books for a wife,” sez I.
Sez Peter Begg, “Well!  Be the—­Hokey—­Fly!”

XIII.  A SQUARE DEAL

A Square Deal

“Dreamin’?” I sez to Digger Smith. 
  “Buck up, ole sport, an’ smile. 
Ain’t there enough uv joy to-day
To drive the bogey man away
  An’ make reel things worth while? 
A bloke would think, to see you stare,
There’s visions on the ’ill-tops there.”

“Dreamin’,” sez Digger Smith.  “Why not? 
  An’ there is visions too. 
An’ when I get ’em sorted out,
An’ strafe that little bogey, Doubt,
  I’ll start me life all new. 
Oh, I ain’t crook; but packed in ’ere
Is thoughts:  enough to last a year.

“I’m thinkin’ things,” sez Digger Smith. 
 “I’m thinkin’ big an’ fine
Uv Life an’ Love an’ all the rest,
An’ wot is right an’ wot is best,
  An’ ’ow much will be mine. 
Not that I’m wantin’ overmuch
Some work, some play, an’ food an’ such.”

“See ’ere,” I sez.  “You ’ark to me. 
  I’ve done some thinkin’ too. 
An’ this ’ere land, for wot yeh did,
Owes some few million solid quid
  To fightin’ blokes like you. 
So don’t be too dam modest or
Yeh’ll git less than yeh’re lookin’ for.”

“Money?” sez Digger.  “Loot?” sez ’e
  “Aw, give that talk a rest! 
I’m sick uv it.  I didn’t say
That I was thinkin’ all uv pay,
  But wot was right an’ best. 
An’ that ain’t in the crazy game
Uv grabbin’ wealth an’ chasin’ fame.

“Do you think us blokes Over There,
  When things was goin’ strong,
Was keepin’ ledgers day be day
An’ reck’nin’ wot the crowd would pay? 
  Pull off!  Yeh got it wrong. 
Do you think all the boys gone West
Wants great swank ’ead-stones on their chest?

“You chaps at ’ome ’as small ideer
  Uv wot we think an’ feel. 
We done our bit an’ seen it thro’,
An’ all that we are askin’ you
  Is jist a fair, square deal. 
We want this land we battled for
To settle up—­an’ somethin’ more.