58 THE ITINERANT HORSE PHYSICIAN 



After some casting about I was lucky enough 

 to find an "angel," as theatrical folks say. He 

 was a mining man who frequently spent a few 

 hours at our infirmary as a spectator at oper- 

 ations. 



He found the work interesting and when I 

 informed him one day that the place was for sale 

 he wanted to know why I did not buy it. I told 

 him I had no money and why I had none. He 

 knew me as a sober, hustling young fellow and 

 he also knew the practice was a paying propo- 

 sition. After some talk he promised to put his 

 money against my work, on the basis of an equal 

 interest for each of us. 



This looked good enough to me, at that time, 

 and I agreed. We bought the business next day 

 for two thousand dollars, my partner paying 

 $500 cash, the balance to be paid off at the rate 

 of one hundred dollars per month. 



Now I had a half interest in the business, with 

 "strings" to it. Today I can see that I did not 

 make a good bargain, but at the time I felt pretty 

 good over it. 



In the first place, our expense of running this 

 place was just about three hundred dollars per 

 month. We had to make ten dollars every day 

 for the expenses before we had anything for our- 

 selves. The way the practice had been running 

 this was all right, but I neglected to figure the 

 influence which the Doctor's political position 

 had given the practice. As soon as we bought 

 him out, much of this business fell away, not from 

 lack of help on his part, either. 



