n a hot dusty street on mornings when the weather was fine and the
great sunny rollers were coming in grand on the Bondi Beach and down at
Coogee, and I could swim.... I'd give something to be down along there
now."

Mitchell looked away out over the sultry sandy plain that we were to
tackle next day, and sighed.

"The first job I got was in a jam factory. They only had 'Boy Wanted' on
the card in the window, and I thought it would suit me. They set me to
work to peel peaches, and, as soon as the foreman's back was turned,
I picked out a likely-looking peach and tried it. They soaked those
peaches in salt or acid or something--it was part of the process--and
I had to spit it out. Then I got an orange from a boy who was slicing
them, but it was bitter, and I couldn't eat it. I saw that I'd been had
properly. I was in a fix, and had to get out of it the best way I could.
I'd left my coat down in the front shop, and the foreman and boss were
there, so I had to work in that place for two mortal hours. It was about
the longest two hours I'd ever spent in my life. At last the foreman
came up, and I told him I wanted to go down to the back for a minute. I
slipped down, watched my chance till the boss' back was turned, got my
coat, and cleared.

"The next job I got was in a mat factory; at least, Aunt got that for
me. I didn't want to have anything to do with mats or carpets. The worst
of it was the boss didn't seem to want me to go, and I had a job to get
him to sack me, and when he did he saw some of my people and took me
back again next week. He sacked me finally the next Saturday.

"I got the next job myself. I didn't hurry; I took my time and picked
out a good one. It was in a lolly factory. I thought it would suit
me--and it did, for a while. They put me on stirring up and mixing stuff
in the jujube department; but I got so sick of the smell of it and so
full of jujube and other lollies that I soon wanted a change; so I had
a row with the chief of the jujube department and the boss gave me the
sack.

"I got a job in a grocery then. I thought I'd have more variety there.
But one day the boss was away, sick or something, all the afternoon, and
I sold a lot of things too cheap. I didn't know. When a customer came in
and asked for something I'd just look round in the window till I saw
a card with the price written up on it, and sell the best quality
according to that price; and once or twice I made a mistake the other
w