Howel laughed and said: "Wait till you have been out to South Africa fighting for your king and country and see if _that_ doesn't change _you_!" The visit to the Clifton oculist resulted in a great success.

The oculist after two or three days' preparation in a nursing home performed the operation and advised David then to leave his father for a few days (promising if any unfavourable symptoms supervened he would telegraph) so that he might pass the time in sleep as much as possible, and with no mental stimulation.

During this interval David transferred himself and his bicycle to Swansea, and thence visited the Gower caves where he ran up against Rossiter once more and spent delightful hours being inducted into palaeontology by Rossiter and his companions.

Then back to--by contrast--boresome Clifton (except for its Zoological Gardens).

After another week his father was well enough to be escorted home.