There are various rumours afloat as to who their
representative is to be, the name of Ted Barton being freely
mentioned; but the betting, which is seven to one on the Master
against any untried man, is a fair reflection of the feeling of
the community.
Montgomery read it over twice, and it left him with a very serious face.
No light matter this which he had undertaken; no battle with a
rough-and-tumble fighter who presumed upon a local reputation.
The man's record showed that he was first-class--or nearly so. There
were a few points in his favour, and he must make the most of them.
There was age--twenty-three against forty. There was an old ring
proverb that "Youth will be served," but the annals of the ring offer a
great number of exceptions. A hard veteran full of cool valour and
ring-craft, could give ten or fifteen years and a beating 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.
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