les there for one Otwiski."

"I see," I remarked, as the beauty of this arrangement dawned upon me.

"All I had to do therefore was to change my money in Otwiski for three
times as much Triadropoldir currency, and then go up the line to the
other place and change it back again, making fifteen hundred per
cent, on the round trip. Of course you couldn't always change the full
amount, but in a couple of months I had sixty thousand roubles--my
valise was crammed with them--and I was only waiting to get down to
the Field Cashier to change out and make my fortune."

"And did you?" I asked.

"No, I didn't. One morning the Reds arrived in Triadropoldir, and
my servant and I only just got away with the valise on one of those
inspection cars which you propel by pulling a handle backwards and
forwards. A section of Red Cavalry came after us, and we took it in
turns to work the handle."

"Your servant won't ever be short of a job," I commented. "He ought to
take to film-acting after that like a duck to water."

"We soon finished my servant's ammunition and they were closing in
on us fast. My hair had appreciably lifted my tin hat when I had a
brain-wave and threw out a double handful of rouble notes. It worked
like a charm; they all stopped to collect the money, and we had gone
quite a distance before they caught us up again, I threw out more
notes at intervals, and the last thousand roubles went just as we came
in sight of DENIKIN'S outposts fifteen miles down the line. We were
saved, but I had lost my fortune, for there was no chance of repeating
the operation."

I sighed. Then, without any regard for the conclusions of my
fellow-passengers, I silently raised both my hands above my head.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Ordinary Man_ (_to well-fed friend_). "HULLO! HOW ARE
THINGS WITH YOU? MAKING LOTS OF MONEY, I SUPPOSE?"

_Yorkshireman_. "NO. WE DON'T _MAKE_ MONEY AT BRADFORD--WE JUST PICK
IT OOP."]

* * * * *

"She had her hair cut short, and claimed to be a member of a
tilted family."--_Provincial Paper_.

One with a bend sinister, we presume.

* * * * *

A leader of fashion at Ely
Whose clothes were a bit down-at-heely
Was quite overcome
When he found he'd the sum
That would buy him a Mallaby-Deeley.

* * * * *

"BLACK CATS' STRIKE THREAT."

_Headin