“That’s what I always thought, Dave. You didn’t make no mistake there, I tell yuh.”
“No, Bill,” he replied. “All I knew was that something big and strong had taken hold of me. I knew that I had the love of God in my heart and that every ounce of muscle in my body was going to be used up helping some of these poor beggars on to their feet.”
“That’s right, Dave—that’s the only religion there is,” commented William. “You didn’t make no mistake there.”
“And so I just pitched those Hebrew books about as far as I could heave, and settled down into steady work at the settlement.”
“Good for you, Dave. What kind of settlement do you mean?”
“A settlement, Bill, is a kind of organization supported by various people for reclaiming bums and no-goods,” said McBratney. “We take in the riff-raff, without a word, give ’em clothes and grub, and get ’em work to do. We start them off in life again and give them a second chance to go straight. Our idea is to reclaim damaged goods, Bill, we try to—”
“Um-hum!” interjected William, “I can see the sense in that, Dave. What’s your work?”
“I’m on the employment department. I keep a list of jobs, and fit these bums into them. After they get started I go around and see how they’re doing. If they’re falling down on the job I brace them up a little or change their job for them.”
“Do you get much salary, Dave?”
“No. It isn’t the money I’m after, Bill. What I like about it is the game. Some of these bums have to be handled pretty carefully, and that’s my work. I never was afraid of anybody, and I’ve got to meet the man yet that can handle me.”