Show 1905 by da ly story pub co bowly walked up the main sheet of hemley it ever a good man walked up that street he was doing it then goodness lay in every fold of the fat smooth shaven face able virtue was expressed by the tight ly tied white cravat under the double chin mr bowly was prominent in the board of the deslean We slean chapel of hemley aad when he was not doing his best to improve this sinful world he was selling ropes and groceries in his ship chandlery on the wharf when he came to captain crabbe s house in the square he knocked at the door and was admitted captain crabbe was also a good man and he was also prominent in the chapel the captain was a londoner and bad re tired from the sea and settled in hem ley in the old days he had been a sinful man he said so himself in the experience meetings and at times in a social chat he would recount the deeds of his unregenerate days with a grin about his lips and a light in his ees as it the cakes and ale still had a savor on his palate but those days had passed no man could outdo the captain in righteous language and con duct since his joining the church brother crabbe said air bowly seating himself with a grunt for he was tat I 1 have heard a rumor a bad a shocking rumor he watched captain crabbe s face closely as he said this what ave you eard brother bow ly asked the captain he also regarded brother bowly s countenance with interest there is a rumor replied mr bowly that a prize fight is to come of near heinley that the peace and order of this quiet town is to be pro caned by such a rowdy gathering is horrible hi eard the rumor too remarked the captain looking out of the win dow hand I 1 was just coming to see you cabout it I 1 am president of the law and or der society and you are the vice pres ident it is incumbent on us to stop this disgraceful affair said mr bow we must surely stop it agreed the captain ave you eard where hits to come haip at oldham s woods replied mr bowly at least that s my informal tion teats where hi eard it d be said the captain hi 11 see mr grubb the magistrate and you d better see mr hunch the constable do it assented mr bowly oh that such a beautiful spot as oldham s woods should be defiled by such an illicit assemblage of sinful men the guardians of the peace and or der of hemley shook hands and part ed when mr bowly had gone the captain took from his pocket an illy written note cap crabbe the southward kid and the sheffield gamecock are goin to have a little fist shuffle near your town wednesday you used to like this sport once and if you want to see this fight you can get the ticket spot and time from ben hushes at the bugle and sword in high street southward South wark yours truly sam this note had been received by the captain the saturday previous and on monday business had taken him to london As became a vigilant member of the law and order society captain goodness lay in every fold of the smooth shaven face crabbe had not failed to discover by diplomatic inquiry the time and place where this most ungodly infraction of the peace quietude and honor of hem ley was threatened this was tuesday and the fight wa appointed tor the next day prompt action was necessary you were right said he to mr that evening coldham s woods is the place and daybreak is the time mr bowly eyed the captain closely while he spoke I 1 1 ave already as be comes a vigilant officer of the law and order society both t me and place oldham s woods at daybreak dav break you are right captain and I 1 comell you on your co operation the officers are and the fight will be prevented the sun had not thought about chini ing upon merrle england when the captain left his couch on tuesday morning like a thoughtful husband he put on his clothes quietly so as not to disturb mrs crabbed crabbes slumbers and putting an odd looking package in his pocket sallied out it it was the captain s purpose to aid in the prevention of the fight he went about it in an odd fashion every body in hemley knows that the short est way to oldham s woods is past tha mill and over the footbridge going had been a sinful man due south the captain bent bis way due north he crossed the spring farm tolled through the bracken be coming dew sodden and then veered into a sequestered vale surrounded by woodland he was not the only one in the vale some hundred rough looking men v ere there and there was a ring being roped off HI guess bowly s tramping towards Hold hams woods by now muttered the captain taking deep interest in the proceedings when the brawny champions en the ring the captain had no dim culty in getting an excellent position to view the fight in fact he seemed marvelously familiar with the whole proceedings and spoke to one or two sportive looking men by their first names being familiarly addressed by them as cap greatly relieved to see that none 0 hemley s citizen s were present the captain gave himself up heart and soul to the fight the sheffield game cock had much the best of it at the start and handled the kid as he pleased five pun to four on the game cock called a spectator hoarsely hon yelled the captain hand doubled it you ve the grit doubled it Is replied the man the kid then dealt the gamecock a blow perilously near that point of a mans physique beneath which a blow is barred by the rules of manly sport foul foul shrieked a voice won familiar to the captain he peered past a bulky gentleman b his side and there stood mr bowly led faced and angry shaking bis fist under the nose of a man who was in a deep voice denouncing him as a liar the captain shrunk back behind his bulky companion and remained hidden until the kid with a fierce rally had transformed the gamecock s face into a mass of bruised and bloody flesh and was hailed victor collecting his bet the captain slunk away with the certainty that he had not been seen by mr bowly and ten bering the woods drew out the pack age from his pocket and took a long dram of spirits then he hastened home and informed his spouse that he had taken a walk for indigestion that afternoon the captain walked down the street with that p basani feeling that is the concomitant of a bet of ten pounds won by keen knowl edge of form when he met mr bow 1 that gentleman s usually benign countenance was ruffled as it some un pleasant circumstance had happened to him during the morning I 1 regret captain he said that we were misinformed as to the place where the fight was to be held it occurred I 1 am told somewhere to the north hit was a great pity remarked the captain hi coulden couldn t go with the constable this morning hit s a great pity I 1 coulden couldn t go either said mr bowly ad I 1 regret creati this mis carriage of justice and the captain continued his walk slowly shaking his head |