I believed it would entertain him.

He was one of these brisk and hearty and cheery and self-satisfied young fellows who are brimful of confidence, and who plunge with grateful eagerness into any enterprise that offers a showy test of their abilities.

I emptied the balls on the table and said, "Take a cue and a ball, George, and begin.

How many caroms do you think you can make out of that layout ?" He laughed the laugh of the gay and the care-free, as became his youth and inexperience, and said, "I can punch caroms out of that bunch a week without a break." I said "Place the balls to suit yourself, and begin." Confidence is a necessary thing in billiards, but overconfidence is bad.
George went at his task with much too much lightsomeness of spirit and disrespect for the situation.

On his first shot he scored three caroms; on his second shot he scored four caroms; and on his third shot he missed as simple a carom as could be devised.