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Cover
Y
FL
AM
TE
Team-Fly®
Page i
Lou Marco
Page iv
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. In all
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For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.Wiley.com
Page v
Contents
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xvii
Part 1 Java Fundamentals 1
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
Java Trek 3
A New World of Objects 3
Reusability 4
Inheritance 4
Encapsulation 4
Stack Class 5
Polymorphism 6
Java and C++ 6
C++ 7
Java 8
A PL/I Version of the Bubble Sort 17
In Summary 20
Chapter 2 What Is Java? 23
A Brief History of Java 23
The World of Java Today 25
Java: The Programming Language 25
Java: The Object-Oriented Programming Language 25
Java: The Portable Programming Language 26
Page vi
Preface
Developing Mainframe Java Applications provides big iron data processors with a reference and
learning tool they can use to write Java programs that run under OS/390. The thrust of the book is to
describe Java in the language of the mainframe professional and to show how such professionals
would develop Java applications for the IBM mainframe.
This is a "how-to" book, meant to impart rules and general techniques by drawing analogies between
the familiar and the new. Scant mention is made of the technical intricacies of the Java Virtual
Machine, garbage collection algorithms, "the taming of the threads," or other topics that deal with
Java internals.
The book helps programmers learn Java programming, but the book has a wider audience than
AM
mainframe programmers. Systems analysts need to understand what Java is all about as well as
programmers. Management, especially first and second line managers, needs an understanding of
Java and a way of relating Java to their technical background.
TE
As an aside, the book assumes that the reader has no C or C++ programming experience, which
means that Java syntax, down to using curly braces, may be unfamiliar to the reader.
Team-Fly®
Page xiv
Part 1 contains chapters that discuss loops, decision constructs, declaring data, and
subroutine/function (methods, really) invocation–the language of procedural programming
languages. Other chapters discuss Class/Object representation, Inheritance, and Encapsulation–the
language of object-oriented programming languages. After the reader completes Part 1, he or she will
have a good grasp of how to use Java and how Java stacks up against familiar mainframe
programming languages.
To introduce the Sun Java JDK so the reader can create and execute simple Java programs on
his or her PC
Part 2, "Java in the Mainframe Environment," describes IBM's "Java Everywhere" strategy by
examining Java in the OS/390 environment. Each chapter covers how Java works with a particular
brand of IBM technology, such as CICS, DB2, or VSAM. Java code exploiting IBM-specific
technologies is included. The section concludes with Java code that accesses DB2 tables.
Part 2 explains shows how IBM has provided the Java programmer access to tried and true
technologies. After the reader completes this section, he or she will have a good grasp of how to
exploit Java in the OS/390 environment. The reader will be quite comfortable with Java; he or she
knows the syntax, how Java implements the object-oriented world view (from Part 1), and how to
use Java with familiar IBM technologies (Part 1).
CICS
IMS
Batch
VSAM
DB2
To compare and contrast Java code with COBOL and PL/I code when using the previous list
of technologies
Page xv
To describe IBM's JRIO classes and how the Java programmer on OS/390 uses these classes to
perform record I/O
In the first two parts, the book shows COBOL and PL/I code that functions like the Java code in the
snippets and applications. However, this approach can only take the reader so far into the world of
Java. Simply put, Java is far more capable than COBOL and PL/I put together. Hence, the last
section of the book describes several key features of Java that are found only in Java.
Part 3, "Java: Above and Beyond Other Programming Languages," lightly touches on several Java
features and capabilities, such as applet creation, the Swing user interface classes, Java 2, Enterprise
Edition (J2EE), and Remote Method Invocation (RMI).
The goals of Part 3 are to describe some of Java's unique features, including
Applet coding
The Remote Method Invocation (RMI) classes, which enable a Java programmer to execute
Java programs on other machines over a network
The first time a term is used in a chapter, the term is printed in italics.
Throughout the book, you'll find sidebar information that contains relevant information that doesn't
fit into the current context. Here's what a sidebar may look like:
You'll also encounter notes that augment the material preceding the note. Here's
This text may explain the material immediately preceding the note.
You'll also encounter tips that offer a shortcut or a solution to a common problem that relates to the
material you've just read.
This text may provide a shortcut or solution to a common problem.
Page xvi
Acknowledgments
This work would not have been possible without the nearly infinite patience of the hard-working folk
at John Wiley & Sons. Of course, kudos go to my wife who had to witness and endure some strange
behaviors on my part during the completion of this work.
Page xviii
PART One
Java Fundamentals
Page 2
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Java Trek
You are a mainframe programmer neck deep in COBOL programming. You cannot escape the siren
song of object-oriented programming (OOP). Every trade publication you peruse has articles from
industry pundits chanting the object mantra. In an evangelical manner, these new disciples of the
object faith quote chapter and verse from the missiles of Saint Booch and Saint Jacobsen. The
message is clear— you must adopt the Object Tao and righteously cast out the old demons of
procedural programming and structured design.
Okay, you got the calling. As a highly evolved mammal, your survival instinct kicks in. You sense
that you'd better find out what this object stuff is all about. If these harbingers of the object path are
correct, you could become obsolete before you become vested in your pension plan. Duly motivated,
you begin your quest for the truth about object technology.
Y
A New World of Objects
FL
The oceans of literature and the galaxy of Web pages contain many new terms and concepts. On your
AM
own, the brave new world of object technology can be quite daunting. In this exploration, you will
have an experienced guide to help you sort through the differences between mainframe programming
concepts and object technology— specifically Java programming.
TE
Team-Fly®
Page 4
Object applications are not related sets of procedures acting on external data sources, but sets of
communicating objects. These objects contain all their needed data and procedures. The object view
of modeling software systems is based on the properties and behaviors of actual application entities.
Comparatively, the old software design model of creating separate data models and structure charts
seems archaic.
Reusability .
The object prophets make strong claims about software reusability. On the reusability issue, the
prophets speak with a single voice. They say that only by using object technology can you, the
programmer, create truly reusable code.
We all know that software reusability is not a new issue. Actually, software reusability has always
been the platonic ideal of programming. You've probably been very close to this ideal at times. It is
possible to write reusable code with a procedural language, but the reusability is achieved in spite of,
rather than because of, your programming tools and environment.
Is there really a programming environment out there somewhere that enables you to create reusable
code as a rule, not as an exception? Any culture advanced enough to produce cholesterol-free eggs
and breastfeeding devices for males must be advanced enough to produce this programming
environment. But do object environments truly assist the programmer in writing reusable code?
Inheritance
You may have read about that wonderful property of objects called inheritance. With inheritance,
you write code that implements some behavior for a group of similar objects, or a class. You create
subclasses based on some relationship— subclass A ISA superclass of B, for example. Once done,
the code that implements behaviors for the superclass is automatically known to the subclass. Yes, I
said automatically known to the subclass.
Well, this certainly sounds like a feature that would help me write reusable code. Think of a bank
account superclass with checking and savings account subclasses. You write code to implement the
withdrawal behavior for the bank account class. This code automatically becomes known to the
checking and savings account superclass. One routine, three classes. This beats the pants out of
reusability in the COBOL world-copying code in a separate member of your PDS and changing a
few lines. Do you see the real value in this inheritance stuff?
Encapsulation
You are likely to encounter the term encapsulation in any exploration of object technology. With
encapsulation, the data and code that implement behaviors in application objects are hidden from
other objects. The big idea is that, because other objects do not know about an object's internal data
and behavior representations, these other objects cannot change these representations. In short,
encapsulation provides a safety mechanism that prevents unwanted changes in an object's data.
Page 5
How does this encapsulation stuff really help prevent unwanted changes? Think about the last set of
COBOL modules you wrote. Let's say you coded a list of parameters in the CALL/USING statement
of the calling module. Remember the unexpected behavior of the calling program? Remember trying
to debug the calling program? Remember how the called program changed one of the parameters
supplied in the LINKAGE section? Remember how difficult this problem was to locate? Suddenly,
like the light bulb flashing over the coyote's head in those silly roadrunner cartoons, you see the
beauty, majesty, and practicality of encapsulation.
The problem with the COBOL modules is that both the calling and called modules needed to know
the data representation of the parameters. Because the called module knew the data representation,
the module contained code that changed the parameter. At times, you count on the ability of the
called COBOL module to change the parameter's value and write code to make wanted changes.
Sadly, you can slip and write code that inadvertently changes passed parameters. The calling module
has no knowledge of these changes and does not execute correctly.
Owing to encapsulation, an object application can never suffer this fate. What an object doesn't
know, an object cannot change. Data contained on objects is safe from unwanted tampering from
other objects.
Stack Class
Let's say Joe Programmer wrote a PL/I program a while back. Being a wise guy, he implemented a
stack as a controlled data structure (a controlled data structure in PL/I— declared with the storage
class CONTROLLED— means the PL/I program can dynamically allocate memory for the structure
with the ALLOCATE statement). All routines that used the stack had this controlled structure
declaration. Joe's code worked; he was immensely pleased with himself. When the team lead
scheduled the code walk-through, he couldn't wait to demonstrate his superior knowledge of the PL/I
language.
Well, it turns out that Joe should have known that the project lead is not nearly as well versed in PL/I
as he is. When she saw the stack and its controlled allocation, she barked, "What is this?" With pride,
Joe described the intricacies of PL/I's controlled storage class. A scowl slowly spread over the
project lead's face. She was clearly not impressed with Joe's code and asked him to rewrite the stack
code, using a more conventional data structure. When Joe meekly asked for a suggestion, she
whipped out an array representation on a white board. Joe slinked back to his cube to make the
required changes.
Joe hunted down every module that accessed the stack because he had to change every one. He had
to change the POP, PUSH, and ISEMPTY routines, too. What a pain. Maybe Joe should have
conferred with Hagatha, the team lead, before he embarked on his coding journey.
If this application were done in an object language, Joe would need to change only the stack class.
All objects communicating with the stack, being ignorant of the stack's data representation, would
not have to be changed.
Another bonus— because of inheritance, all subclasses of a changed class automatically know of the
change. Joe need do nothing to implement a new data representation or a behavior in the subclasses.
Page 6
By now, you should be firmly convinced that this object stuff is definitely worth the admission price.
This class/object representation, combined with inheritance and encapsulation, makes for powerful
code. Many more object technology wonders are there to unearth— let's keep digging.
Polymorphism
What if you could send the same message to different objects and each object would invoke the
appropriate behavior in response to the message? Remember that object applications are
communicating objects, not separate function/module calls acting on external data sources. The term
message makes sense in object-speak. Objects communicate by issuing messages to each other. The
message invokes some behavior that you have implemented in code. The thrust of polymorphism is
that each object responds to a message according to its understanding of that message.
There is practical, everyday truth in this. How do people respond to messages? Do we not respond in
our own way? Don't different people (and dogs, for that matter) respond differently to the same
message? When you become accustomed and attuned to this concept, the object world-view of
polymorphism seems as natural and proper as wearing underwear.
You may think that object technology is recent, say 1990s, technology. However, object technology
has been around since the 1970s. It may be strange to realize that object technology is older than
your dog. It may be older than your significant other. It is certainly older than some of the big iron
technology like DB2 and REXX that you've been using for the past 15 years.
Your first impulse may be to rush off to a bookstore and purchase some of the uncounted number of
books about these languages. Because most programming books are 40-plus dollars, a few books
equate to big bucks. After all, you're a programmer, not a drug dealer or a dentist. Three books are
the equivalent of food for two weeks. By now, the at-home crowd must be weary of eating beanie-
weenies. Maybe you can make do without the books for now.
Internet searches reveal a wealth of links on C++ and Java. There are lots of C++ and Java source
code, lots of terminology and acronyms, and lots of talk about UNIX on the net. There's little on how
object technology is used by companies in certain industries— notably yours. To find out how this
object–C++–Java technology is used by your industry and your company will take more research.
Page 7
Perhaps a direct approach is in order. Why not talk to folks in your organization to learn if anyone in
the same building is using object technology? You may meet a few object converts under your
corporate roof. Perhaps some of these object practitioners can shed some interesting light on C++
and Java usage within the company.
C++
Joe, the first object practitioner you meet, uses the C++ programming language. This programmer
swears with the fervor of a recent ex-smoker that any object programmer worth his salt uses C++. He
gleefully takes the time to explain his ardor for C++.
Joe tells you in a pompous and annoying manner that C++ supports all the features of object
programming: class/object representation, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. He
explains that C++ is a hybrid object language— a language built upon an existing procedural
programming language (C, in this case). He boasts that his C experience and knowledge of object
concepts enabled him to start coding almost immediately.
He continues by explaining that C++ supports multiple inheritance. Multiple inheritance enables a
subclass to inherit data attributes or behaviors from more than one superclass. Of course, he grins,
multiple inheritance is more flexible than, and superior to, single inheritance.
Because of your hard work and research, you understand what Joe is talking about. You wax with
glee as you realize that you can talk the object talk. You can't wait to walk the object walk.
Impatiently, you ask him to show you some C++ code.
As your eyes scan the C++ code, your shiny, gleeful face quickly sours to a dull, woeful puss. You
can't understand any of this stuff. This code could be Babylonian cuneiform writing as far as you're
concerned. You can't believe that under this mess is essentially code in a procedural language.
You recall the first time you saw PL/I. You didn't understand the nuts and bolts, but you had a good
understanding of what the code did. Your COBOL background was good preparation for
understanding PL/I. Unfortunately, this C++ stuff looks pretty cryptic.
The C++ programmer senses your state of overall confusion and asks you how much C experience
you have under your belt. There may be lots under your belt these days, but none of it is C
programming experience. You're a COBOL and PL/I programmer. Remember when you had to learn
pointer use in PL/I? You finally grasped that a pointer is merely a four-byte address. Joe shows you
pointers to character strings, pointers to integers, and (gasp!) pointers to pointers, explaining that,
although these pointers are addresses, they are all different data types. You thank the Joe for his time
and mosey on to your cubie. Alone with your thoughts, the horror of learning C++ seeps in. You
thought object programming would be easier than conventional procedural programming. This C++
stuff seems to be procedural programming at its worst.
At lunch, you mention to a chum that you're looking into C++ programming. This chum happens to
know a thing or two about C++. He has some C++ information obtained from a vendor of Macintosh
software development tools. He believes that this information is Mac-specific. But the C++
information from the Mac vendor made the
Other documents randomly have
different content
away.”
“But it would be terribly risky,” said Audry, “and after the narrow
escape you had, I think you might consider you had done your
share.”
“But look how you have suffered and you will bring the same
suffering to others; in fact you hesitated about telling us.”
“But that was because you are children, and somehow I do not
feel that a child is called upon to undertake such great
responsibilities.”
“I do not see why a child should not judge,” said Aline; “it is all so
simple and beautiful. If it is worth dying for, people should be glad to
have it, whatever the suffering. I think I feel ready to die like poor
George Wishart. So if your going helps other people, even if it makes
us very sad you must go. When do you think you ought to start?”
These days with Ian had made the Holwick life far more bearable
for her. There were her Greek lessons and the fencing lessons, but
bad as it would be to lose them it would be worse to lose her friend.
He was generally very reserved with her; but if she was in trouble he
always opened out. She glanced up. Ian had lifted his head and their
eyes met. What would she do without him?
Audry held one of the foils and drew with it on the floor. The
silence was oppressive.
At length Aline spoke. “Where shall you go, when you leave us?
You cannot think how sadly we shall miss you.”
“I shall probably miss you more than you will miss me, sweet
child,” and Menstrie looked at her with a strange longing pain in his
heart. It was thirteen years since any one person had filled his life as
this child had done, and now he was to lose her. “Surely,” he said to
himself, “life is compact of most mysterious bitterness”; but he tried
to be cheerful for the child’s sake and said, “Never mind, Aline, I
shall come and see you again. I think I shall try and become a
packman like your friend who gave you your necklace, if I can get
some money somehow to begin, and then I can pay many visits to
Holwick. I believe I could disguise myself well enough, as I do not
think that any one here really knows me,—the few that saw me will
have forgotten me. We can meet in this room and I shall be able to
bring you news and some interesting things from far away.”
“No, not at all,” said Ian. “Would you like one, little angel?”
“Yes, very much indeed; but oh, I am afraid it will be a long time
between one visit and the next, and we shall not know what has
become of you,” and Aline sighed.
They discussed the matter for some time and the next day set
about making the parchment slips, and for the following few
evenings they were busy with several preparations. Ian’s clothes all
had to be mended and put in good order and they took some of the
clothes that they had found in the secret room and by slight
alterations were able to make him a second outfit.
They also found a leathern wallet that with a little patching made
a sound serviceable article.
A
L
I
N
E”
“Well, after each letter, we will write in order the letters in the
alphabet that follow it. After A we will write B C D E F G, and after L
we will write M N O P Q R, and whenever we get to Z we start the
alphabet again. So if we write our whole names it will look like this—
A. B C D E F G
L. M N O P Q R
I. J K L M N O
N. O P Q R S T
E. F G H I J K
G. H I J K L M
I. J K L M N O
L. M N O P Q R
L. M N O P Q R
E. F G H I J K
S. T U V W X Y
P. Q R S T U V
I. J K L M N O
E. F G H I J K
I. J K L M N O
A. B C D E F G
N. O P Q R S T
M. N O P Q R S
E. F G H I J K
N. O P Q R S T
S. T U V W X Y
T. U V W X Y Z
R. S T U V W X
I. J K L M N O
E. F G H I J K
“I see,” said Aline, “if the number is 51 we shall begin at the top
of the third column; if it is 56 we shall begin 6 letters down the third
column.”
“Well, we should have to make another column the same way and
we should begin at the top of it.”
“Oh, that’s quite easy,” said Aline, “and so you mark them all like
this—
“Yes,” said Ian, “and the only other thing necessary is that the
paper should first be neatly ruled with quarter inch squares, and
each of the key letters carefully written in a square. It does not
matter about the others. But then when the receiver gets the letter
he knows that the squares to be cut must be exactly an even
number of quarter inches from the edge of the paper.”
GOOD-BYE
T HE days slipped by all too quickly and the children spent every
available moment in the secret room. But it was not very safe for
them to disappear from sight too often and moreover, other
obligations had to be fulfilled. Sometimes they were able to arrange
that one should remain with Ian while the other was occupied
elsewhere.
“Bless you, my child,” said the old man, looking at her keenly,
“talium enim est regnum dei,”[16] he whispered softly to himself.
“How profound Our Lord’s sayings were. Yes, it does one good even
to look at a child,” and then he noticed that Aline seemed sad and
troubled and lacked her usual buoyant vivacity. “Are you not happy,
little maiden?” he said gently.
16
For of such is the kingdom of God.
They had drawn near to the side of the road and Aline was leaning
against the wall; she plucked the top of a tall ragwort and began
pulling off its yellow petals one by one.
The priest put his elbow on the wall and looked down at her. He
was very tall indeed, with a rather thin face and deep sad eyes. He
at once saw that she did not want to tell him her troubles and he
had too much instinctive delicacy to press the child. He laid his
disengaged hand kindly on her head, and she looked up at him.
“All things work together for good, Aline,” he said aloud, “the
forces of good must win in the end, but the powers of darkness are
strong and the victory may be long delayed; yet it will come.”
Aline gazed into his face and he seemed to be looking into the
things beyond.
“Be of good courage, little maiden, fear not them that have power
to hurt the body. The Lord be with you, and may the Mother of God
watch over you; farewell.”
“Dear heart,” said Janet, “you do us honour.” She skilfully lifted the
peats with the long tongs and rearranged them on a different part of
the hearth and soon there was a bright fire.
“That’s a merry blaze,” said Aline; “it seems to cheer one’s heart.”
For an hour they sat and talked about Newbiggin; and the child,
with what she already knew, was able to make a shrewd estimate of
the true state of affairs.
“She would not explain,” said Janet; “she refused to tell any one
anything more. ‘The time is not yet, the time is not yet,’ she kept
repeating; ‘when all is ready and I have discovered the workings of
the fates, I will tell you more than you wish to know.’”
“People have gossiped about it a great deal,” Janet went on, “but
Moll will say nothing further.”
“I trust that her evil desires may be foiled,” said Aline, “but I must
not tarry.”
As she went up the street she again met Father Laurence coming
out of Peter’s cottage and he seemed more sorrowful than ever.
Aline’s eyes filled with tears, “I should like you to read it,” she
said.
“But I never gave her any shoes or belt,” said Aline. “Poor little
Joan, her mind must have failed her at the last, or Mistress Parry
must have been as much in error as she was about my name. She
was a dear child,” she continued, “and it is bitter dole[18] to me. I
have burned a few candles for her soul, but I have not much
means.”
18
Grief.
“Trouble not thy gentle heart,” said the old priest, “I will myself
say mass for the child, and no one shall be at any charge. God keep
thee, Aline, as he may.”
When she reached the Hall she went to Ian and Audry and told
them what she had learned, and they were much disquieted at the
evil speaking of old Moll; but there was nothing that they might do
and they could only hope against hope.
Ever since hearing the letter that Father Laurence had read, the
sad figure of little Joan had floated before Aline’s eyes, and that
night she went to the library and opened the ambry and took out the
little packet and gazed at the pathetic contents. “I wonder whether I
shall ever be able to find the boy, Wilfred Johnstone,” she said. “But
I expect he will have forgotten already, boys never remember long,”
and then she recalled a remark of her father’s,—“A boy remembers
longer and is more constant than a girl, unless he has won her; but
after she is won she is the more faithful.” “I should like to know if
that be true,” she thought.
At length the evening came when Ian had to start. It was a fine
bright night as the three made their way down the secret passage
for the last time.
“How strange it has all been,” said Aline, “since we first discovered
the secret room and this passage. What a different thing life means
to me from what it did then!” She was leading the way carrying the
wallet containing the food, while Audry carried a staff and a big
heavy cloak.
“It has been a wonderful time for me,” said Ian, “and I can never
realise to the full the marvellousness of my escape or your great
kindness to me. I feel that God must have arranged it all, just
because it is so strange. I seem to have every little incident written
in undying characters in my mind, and I could recall almost every
word of your conversations with me. Even if we never meet again,
you will live with me always.”
“Oh, but you will come back and we shall meet again,” Audry
interrupted, “you must not talk like that.”
“I hope that I shall,” he said, but the tone of his voice was so sad
that no one spoke again till they came to the cave-room.
They lifted the stone and Ian climbed down first and then lifted
the two through the opening. As he held Aline in his arms a great
wave of feeling nearly overcame him altogether. For the moment he
felt as though he could not put her down; it was like voluntarily
parting with all that made life precious. He clasped her tightly to him
for a moment and then he set her very gently on her feet. It was not
too dark to see her face, and as he looked at it he realised that he
had never seen it more sad and yet it had never looked more
beautiful. The light was not bright enough to see the colour, but he
could just discern something of its richness in the gleam of her thick
long wavy hair, reaching far down below her waist. They all found it
very difficult to speak and the children wished him a safe journey
and a happy issue with very trembling voices.
He kissed both the children, and holding Aline’s little face in both
his hands he said,—“Oh, if I could only do something for you, little
one, I could be happy, no matter what it cost. Somehow I feel that
we shall never meet again in spite of what Audry says; still that does
not make it impossible for me to do something for you. Remember
that I shall always be living in the hope that some such chance may
come and that the greatest pleasure you can give me is to let me
use myself in your service. But now I must go.” He kissed her once
again and then took the cloak, staff and wallet and strode into the
darkness; which soon closed round him and hid him from their sight.
He walked as fast as the light and the nature of the ground would
permit, and when the morning dawned he had passed the wild
cataract of Caldron Snout and was on the spurs of Knock Fell.
CHAPTER XV
Suddenly he came upon a sight that froze his marrow. It was the
skeleton of a child,—some poor little wanderer who, like himself, had
been lost and who never had returned home. The wind whistled
through the small slender bones. They were quite clean, save for a
little hair clinging to the skull, from which Ian guessed that it was a
boy. He might have been ten or twelve years old. How had he come
there? What had brought him to his fate? The clothes had entirely
gone save one little shoe. Ian picked it up, looked at it and shivered.
Oh, the horror of it! Then the mood changed and he found himself
filled with unutterable pity. “Poor child, poor child,” he said; “another
victim of a heartless world.” He knelt down and laid his hand on the
small skull and his emotion overcame him. Then he gathered the
bones together and carried them to a small hollow under a great
rock. As he was doing this, his fingers came across something in the
grass. It was a small wallet or purse. When he had taken all the
bones he managed with some difficulty to cover them with earth and
then he built up a little cairn of stones. The small shoe he put with
the bones, but the wallet he took with him.
It was very slow work and the ground was very wet and heavy; he
was footsore and stiff from lack of practice and when the evening
began to close in he had made absurdly little headway.
The design was in bold curving shapes that expressed the very
spirit of metal. Most remarkable were three large bosses of a strange
stone of marvellous hue; they were a deep sky-blue, brilliantly clear
and transparent, but with a slight yet most mysterious opalescence
in the colour. He had never heard of such a stone and there was
something almost uncanny about the way they shone in the dim
light. Whether they were original or substitutes for enamel or amber
he could not tell.
For a few hours he slept well and then he woke with the cold. He
was very tired and sleepy but unable to sleep again for the pains
which shot through him. The miserable night seemed endless, he
tossed and dozed and tossed again, but at last the dawn broke. It
was still misty but he was anxious to get on. He opened his wallet
and found it was getting low; there was enough for two fair meals,
but he divided it into three portions and took one.
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