of bad luck, found
that, all things considered, it would be better for my hands and pocket
if I were to look farther afield for some other enterprise.

My third attempt to woo Fortune was to set myself up as a dealer in
cast-off boots and shoes, my idea being to buy, sell and exchange. To my
chagrin I speedily discovered that this calling demanded unlimited
capital, because it was easier to buy than to sell or to exchange.
Seeing that the average price I was prepared to pay was one shilling per
pair, and the state of excruciating depression which prevailed in this
field, I conjured visions of immense stocks of second-hand boots,
representing a heavy investment of capital, which would lie idle for an
indefinite period. So I retired discreetly from the second-hand boot and
shoe trade to seek more promising pastures.

While pondering over the situation a happy idea struck me. In my younger
days I had practised engraving, intending to adopt it as a trade. I
devoted some six years to the craft and had achieved a measure of
success and dexterity. Thereupon I decided to launch out in this
direction. Although I felt that my hand had lost some of its cunning
through lack of practice--I had not touched an engraving tool for about
thirteen years--I decided to take the risk, feeling sure that it would
soon return when I settled down to the fascinating work in grim earnest.

I confided my intention to one or two of my friends, but the majority,
except my bosom chum K----, who is a far-seeing business man, with their
innate shrewdness, wanted to know where I was going to get any custom in
such a place as Ruhleben Camp. I explained that my idea was to engrave
watches, coins, studs links, indeed any article which the prisoners
possessed, thus converting them into interesting souvenirs of their
sojourn in a German prisoners' camp during the Great War. But with the
exception of K---- they declined to see eye to eye with me. Still I was
not to be dissuaded, and consequently decided to commence operations
upon my own initiative.

I was in a quandary. I had not sufficient capital to buy the necessary
tools. However, K----, as usual, came to my assistance by financing me
to the extent of seven-and-sixpence! This money I laid out upon tools,
[*gap] Now I was confronted with another problem. How was I to keep the
tools in the necessary sharpened condition. The only stone I could
borrow was quite useless for engraving tools, while cutting pl