The Green Flag

ns of Dr. Oldacre's prescriptions. At his elbow lay the wooden tray with the labels in various partitions, the cork box, the lumps of twisted sealing-wax, while

ant. His trouble was deeper and more personal. The winter session was approaching. He should be back again at the University completing the last year which would give him his medical degree; but, alas! he had not the money with which to pay his class fees, nor could he imagine how he could procure it. Sixty pounds were wanted to make his career, and it might have been as many thousand for any chance there seemed to be of his obtaining it. He was roused from his black meditation by the entrance of Dr. Oldacre himself, a large

r. Oldacre," said he,

eat favour t

encouraging. His mouth suddenl

r. Mont

I need only one more sessi

have t

important

ural

re, would amount to

duties call me elsewh

ou interest upon your money, you would advance this sum to me. I will pay you bac

a narrow line. His eyes were rais

ubt there are many of them who have a difficulty in finding their fees. Am I to provide for them all? Or why should I make an exception in your favour? I am grieved and disappoin

s board and One pound a week-enough to help him during the summer months and let him save a few pounds towards his winter keep. But those class fees! Where were they to come from? He could not save them out of his scanty wage. Dr. Oldacre would not advance the

oung man stood at the entrance- a stocky, bull-necked young miner, in tweed Sunday clothes and an aggressiv

Why hast thou not sent t' medi

aged him, but after a time he had grown callous to it, and accepted it as it was meant. But this was

e?" he as

ame, yoong man. Mak' oop t' wife's medicine this ver

unprovoked, that he could have none of those qualms which take the edge off a man's mettle. He finished sealing the bottle upon which he was occupied, and he addressed it and placed it carefully in the rack. "

ne here, and now, and quick, while I wait and watch thee, or else

ard, staccato voice of a man who is holding himself in with difficulty. "You'll save t

hin. Luck was with the assistant. That single whizzing uppercut, and the way in which it was delivered, warned him that he had a formidable

, and he had dropped heavily on to the ground. There he lay with his bandy legs

assistant, breathing f

ldacre with his pious connection, a savage brawl with a patient; he would irretrievably lose his situation if the facts came out. It was not much of a situation, but he could

centre of he room, loosened his collar, and squeezed the surgery sponge over his face. He sat up at last wi

so hard," said Montgo

hat cracked my pate for me, and thou art a looky man to be able to boast as thou ha

made it up and han

said he. "Won't you

ine," said the man, and

d in his rough Northern fashion to bear no grudge, and so Montgomery's fears left him. There was no reason why the doctor should know anything about it. He wipe

that three gentlemen had called and were waiting for him in the surgery. A coroner's inquest, a descent of detectives, an invasion

tful silence at Montgomery and twisting the ends of his small, black, waxed moustache. The second was Purvis, the publican, owner of the chief beer-shop, and well known as the local bookmaker. He was a coarse, clean-shaven man, whose fiery face made a singular contrast with his ivory-white bald head. He had shrewd, light-blue eyes with foxy lashes, and he also leaned forward in silence from his chair, a fat, red hand upon either knee, and stared critically at t

" he observed, bu

on was emb

breaker, at last. "No

. Montgomery obeyed. He would learn all about it, no doubt, if he were p

orse-breaker. "Why, mon, the Mast

like, Fawcett, but I'll see this thing through, if I have to do it alone. I don't

on's shoulder

s strength. Give me ne

what

blican, in a thick suety voice. "It's the same wi' poops. Get 'em clean-br

the light side," grow

lter weigh

red and

d fifty, if h

doesn't scale mu

d and sev

rease out of him and I lay there's no great difference be

ad stood in the midst of them like a horse at a fair, and he wa

eleven ston

he was a we

trained?" said the

ways in

trainin' for everyday work ain't the same as trainin' with a trainer; and I dare bet, with all

his other hand on his wrist, he bent the forearm sharply, and felt the

hat!" s

t it with an air of reverence. "Go

tient with you. I have listened to all that you have to say about my personal appearance,

in their serious,

e whether, in a way of speakin', there was any need for us to say anything at all. Mr. Wilson thinks there is. Mr.

ng his prominent teeth with the metal head of his riding-whip. "But happen he may pull t

ch I

ou, Pu

e to go bac

an' to my shar

Isaac Fawcett as a spoil-sport. Well, then, we will make up the hundred for the

, I know, but we'll soon straighten it out, and I hope that you will see your way to falling in with our views.

ook Morris, the ten-stone-six champion, a deal more trouble than that before he put Barton to sleep.

eyond seeing the name on a medi

needed, for it was always a word and a blow with him, and the word alone was worth five shillin' in a public court.

ked at them in

emen, tell me what it is y

Silas Craggs, better

xle

t w

Master. But you've queered our man, and he can't face such a battle with a two-inch cut at the back of his head. There's only one thing to be done, sir, and that is for you to take his place. If you can lick Ted Barton you may lick the

ion was lying there ready to his hand, if only that hand were strong enough to pick it up. He had thought bitterly that morning that there was no market for his strength, but here was on

t!" cried old Purvis.

enough 'Anyone connect

coal-pit club doctor;

e can th

you might not like to take the hundred pounds; but I have no doubt that, in the case of your winning, we could arrange that it should take the form of a watch or piece of

ted. I am afraid the doctor would never consent

t bound to give the name of our man. So long as he is within the wei

profit would either

bined were irresistible

l do

had seized his right hand, the horse-dealer hi

doctor to the best-known mon 'twixt here and Bradford. Thou art a witherin' tyke, thou art, and no mistake; and if thou bea

lson. "By George, sir, if you pull it off, you've got the constituency in

the

ner. Ogilvy has been acting for Barton, but we don't think that he is class enough. Barton bears you no grudge. He's a good-hearted fellow, though cross-grained with stran

ur," said Montgomery; and so the commi

ained so many students, was emphatic in his opinion that he had never had one who was in the same class with him. He had been exhorted to go in for the Amateur Championships, but he had no particular ambition in that direction. Once he had put on the gloves with Hammer Tunstall in a booth at a fair and had fought three rattling rounds, in which he had the worst of it, but had made the prize fighter stretch himself to the uttermost. There was his whole record, and was it enough

an ostentatious Prayer-book in his kid-g

e, I observe, Mr. Montg

had some busine

eat responsibility devolves upon us. If we do not live up to the highest, how can we expect these poor workers to do so? It is a drea

sir?" said Montg

. A local ruffian, a patient of ours, by the way, matched against a pugilist over at Croxley. I cannot

fight,

of money. It seems dreadful and almost incredible-does it not?-to think that such scenes can be enacted within a few miles of our peaceful home. But y

"compound for sins we're most inclined to by damning those we have no mind to." In any case, Montgomery felt that of all the men concerned in such a fight-promoters, backers, spectators-it is the actual figh

ormation, for the shopman was a garrulous soul, who knew everything about the affairs of the district. The assistant st

as well known in the West Riding as the winner o' t' Derby. But Lor,' sir,"-here he stopped and rummaged among a heap of papers. "They are makin' a fuss

ful face, the face of a debauched hero, clean-shaven, strongly eye-browed, keen-eyed, with huge, aggressive jaw, and an animal dewlap beneath it. The long, obstinate cheeks ran flush up to the narrow, sinister eye

's a witherin' tyke, he is, and we're proud to have him in the cou

is leg,

w his two legs look. But his arms-well, if they was both stropped to a benc

ontgomery; and putting the paper

. The whole history of the Croxley Master was gi

las Craggs, better known in sporting circles as t

e!" said Montgomery to himself

t looked as if the very highest honours of the ring were within the reach of the young Yorkshireman, but he was laid upon the shelf by a most unfortunate accident. The kick of a horse broke his thigh, and for a year he was compelled to rest himself. When he returned to his work the fracture had set badly, and his activity was much impaired. It was owing to this that he was defeated in seven rounds by Willox, the man whom he had previously beaten, and afterwards by James Shaw, of London, though the latter acknowledged that he had found the toughest customer of his career. Undismayed by his reverses, the Master adapted the style of his fighting to his physical disabilities and resumed his career of victory-defeating Norton (the black), Hobby Wilson, and Levi Cohen, the latter a heavy-weight. Conceding two stone, he fought a draw with the famous Billy McQuire, an

eating to most striplings. He could not rely too much upon his advantage in age. But then there was the lameness; that must surely count for a great deal. And, lastly, there was the chance that the Master might underrate his opponent, that he might be remiss in his training, and refuse to abandon his usual way of life, if he thought that he had an easy task before him. In a man of his age and habits this seemed very possible. Montgomery prayed that it might be so. Meanwhile, if his opponent were the best man who ever jumped the ropes into a ring, his own duty was clear. He must prep

ower came rather from that higher nerve-energy which counts for nothing upon a measuring tape. He had the well-curved nose and the widely opened eye which never yet were seen upon the face of a craven, and behind everything he had the driving force, which came from the knowledge that his whole career was at

versed, it was a training in itself. For the rest, he punched the swinging ball and worked with the dumb-bells for an hour every morning and evening, and boxed twice a day with Ted Barton in the gymnasium, gaining as much profi

s better, mon, thot's fine!" he would add, as his opponent lifted him across the room on the end of a right counter. "Thot's how I likes to feel 'em. Happen thou'lt pull through

h came within the doctor's observation was

ming rather particular in your tastes. Such fads are not to be e

suits me better

the cook. I observe, also, that

nk that I am bet

longer drink

, s

ated, Mr. Montgomery. Consider how many there are to whom the

at present I prefer

istant thought that it would be a good opport

ou could let me have l

acr

onvenient upon

ay so as to leave everything in order. I

annot spare you,

e could not get leave

ood that I should have a clear day every month. I have never claimed on

rights, there is no more to be said, Mr. Montgomery, though I feel that it shows a cer

s,

d. Have y

class fees, for which his assistant had appealed, it would have been against his interests to do so, for he did not wish him to qualify, and he desired him to remain in his subordinate position, i

ur affairs, Mr. Montgomery, but were you thin

, s

he co

s,

ong the wild flowers a very valuable restorative

g over Cro

evating book as your companion? I should recommend a visit to the ruins of St. Bridget's Church, a very interesting relic of the early Norman era. By the way, there is one objection which I see

nce of that, sir,"

d inspected their man as he went through some light exercises to keep his muscles supple. He was certainly in splendid c

pping!" said th

endidly. You're as hard as a pebbl

," said the publican. "Runs a bit ligh

eight t

ven," the assi

dition. Well, it's fine stuff all there is of it, but I'm none so sure as there is enough." He kept poking his finger int

if it had not been for that great red-headed wench of his they'd never ha' done it. She fair scratted the face off a potman that had brought him a gallon from t' 'Cheque

n, grimy and black with soot and iron, stepped into the yell

p, this is private, and we

speak to M

antab stepp

lad, wha

n, sir. I wanted to tell your m

ten to gossip, my boy

st

mother, and we thought as we'd like thy mon t

r brayed, do you? So do we.

your mo

suppose

tell aboot it. T' Maister

nse

on the left side he can't cop thee. Thou'll find it right as I tell thee. And mark him when he sinks his right. 'Tis his

rth having about his sight," said Wilson.

is son

n whi

sent yo

maun get back

his hal

seek money in comi

suggested

e boy, and darted o

, Mr. Montgomery, sir, you've done enough for this evenin', an' a nine-hours' sleep is the best trainin' bef