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 plays such havoc with the edges of the tools as to demand frequent recourse to sharpening operations.  However this obstacle did not daunt me.  I found that with a sufficient expenditure of energy I could get a passably sharp edge for my purpose by grinding the tools on the floor and finishing them off upon a razor strop which I borrowed.