THE SCRATCH TEAM. 331 



is needless to say that it was highly coloured, and 

 held out very bright prospects to any young man 

 desirous of getting into a good permanent situation 

 under Government. Entertaining this opinion, Young 

 Green communicated with the Ensign, and eventually 

 had an interview with him, when he made himself 

 thoroughly acquainted with the position of the 

 reverend parent, especially as to his ability to stump 

 up the amount which might be requisite to carry out 

 the transaction. A country clergyman with good 

 means, and living in a quiet little village upwards of 

 100 miles from London, where he had scarcely ever 

 been, was just the subject that the Ensign thought he 

 could operate upon, successfully : so he told young 

 Green that he was only acting for somebody else, 

 whose name he was not at liberty to divulge ; that 

 being a delicate matter, and one strictly of honour 

 between the parties, it was absolutely necessary for 

 him to have a personal interview with the reverend 

 gentleman, and that, therefore, Young Green had 

 better go down, represent all the circumstances, and 

 bring him up to town. 



Feeling fully satisfied of the hond Jides of the 

 Ensign, and highly pleased with the prospects verbally 

 exhibited by him, Young Green immediately adopted 

 the plan proposed. 



In the year 1834 there was not any railway 



