SPORT AT THE VARSITIES 143 



training in the neighbourhood and was in need of a pound 

 or two. There were regular meetings in some of the 

 largest rooms two or three times a week, at which men of 

 all weights, from eight stone upwards, might find suitable 

 matches; and occasional public gatherings at the 'Weirs' 

 or ' Wheatsheaf ' promoted by Oriel men for the benefit of 

 one or other of these professionals. In short, athletics 

 were accepted as the main object of residence at the 

 University, and the other branches of a polite education 

 looked upon as subordinate and inferior." 



Now James Fraser, when he became a Fellow and tutor, 

 was at first unpopular among the Oriel men, and would 

 possibly have remained so to the end but for an unexpected 

 display of physical prowess. Amongst the Oriel athletes 

 at this time was a Scotsman, a scholar of the College, James 

 Mackie by name (afterwards M.P. for Kirkcudbrightshire), 

 a man of great strength and stature. He had brought with 

 him from Rugby the name of " the Bear," from the close- 

 ness of his hug in wrestling, in which it was believed he 

 had never been worsted. " He was one of a party at a 

 particularly festive supper (to celebrate the bringing home 

 of the London and Henley Challenge Cups to Oriel) which 

 had adjourned to the grass plot, when the usual warning 

 signal was seen at the Provost's window. Mackie made off 

 at once for his rooms, and, the night being dark, at the 

 entrance to the passage between the two quadrangles ran 

 up against someone whom he took for the under porter. 

 Which of the two grappled the other was never accurately 

 known, but the collision resulted in a spirited wrestling 

 bout between them ; and ' the Bear ' admitted it was all he 

 could do to get rid of his opponent, who, after all, was only 

 left on hand and knee, no fair fall having been scored on 

 either side. But the tussle had lasted long enough for 

 Mackie to recognise his antagonist, and no doubt the 

 recognition was mutual ; and grave were the fears of those 

 in the secret for some days whether an untimely end might 

 not be put to the career of the scholar, and so a vacancy, 

 hard to fill, be created at number four in the College boat. 

 But nothing happened; and so Fraser, who had been 

 peaceably on his way to the library for a book, got the 



