He had aimed high, at first, but as time and his money wasted away he grew less and less exacting, until at last he was willing to serve in the humblest capacities if so he might get bread and shelter.
But luck was still against him; he could find no opening of any sort.
Finally his money was all gone.

He walked the streets all day, thinking; he walked them all night, thinking, thinking, and growing hungrier and hungrier.

At dawn he found himself well away from the town and drifting aimlessly along the harbor shore.

As he was passing by a nodding shark-fisher the man looked up and said---- "Say, young fellow, take my line a spell, and change my luck for me." "How do you know I won't make it worse ?" "Because you can't.

It has been at its worst all night.