BACK TO BACK. 
99 
“ You're a liar/' said Mr. Scutts, opening 
his eyes. 
“ All rights mate,” said the furniture-re- 
mover ; ^ all right. There’s no call to get 
annoyed about it. Good old English pluck, 
I call it. Where d’you feel the pain ? ” 
44 All over,” said Mr. Scutts, briefly. 
His neighbours regarded him with sym- 
pathetic eyes, and then, led by the furniture- 
remover, filed out of the room on tip-toe. 
The doctor, with a few parting instructions, 
also took his departure. 
“ If you’re not better by the morning,” he 
said, pausing at the door, 44 you must send 
for your club doctor.” 
Mr. Scutts, in a feeble voice, thanked him, 
and lay with a twisted smile on his face listen- 
ing to his wife’s vivid narrative to the little 
crowd which had collected at the front door. 
She came back, followed by the next-door 
neighbour, Mr. James Flynn, whose offers of 
assistance ranged from carrying Mr. Scutts out 
pick-a-back when he wanted to take the air, 
to filling his pipe for him and fetching his 
beer. 
“ But I dare say you’ll be up and abort in 
a couple o’ days,” he concluded. “ Yoi 
wouldn’t look so well if you’d got anything 
serious the matter ; rosy, fat cheeks and ” 
44 That’ll do,” said the indignant invalid. 
44 It’s my back that’s hurt, not my face.” 
44 I know,” said Mr. Flynn, nodding sagely ; 
44 but if it was hurt bad your face would be 
as white as that sheet — whiter.” 
44 The doctor said as he w r as to be kep’ quiet,” 
remarked Mrs. Scutts, sharply. 
“ Right-o,” said Mr. Flynn. “ Ta-ta, old 
pal. Keep your pecker up, and if you want 
your back rubbed with turps, or anything of 
that sort, just knock on the wall.” 
He went, before Mr. Scutts could think of 
a reply suitable for an invalid and, at the same 
time, bristling with virility. A sinful and 
foolish desire to leap out of bed and help Mr. 
Flynn downstairs made him more rubicund 
than ever. 
He sent for the club doctor next morning, 
and, pending his arrival, partook of a basin 
of arrowroot and drank a little beef-tea. A 
bottle of castor-oil and an empty pill-box on 
the table by the bedside added a little local 
colour to the scene. 
44 Any pain ? ” inquired the doctor, after 
an examination in which bony and very cold 
fingers had played a prominent part. 
44 Not much pain,” said Mr. Scutts. “ Don’t 
seem to ’ave no strength in my back.” 
“ Ah ! ” said the doctor. 
“ I tried to get up this morning to go to my 
work,” said Mr. Scutts, 44 but T can’t stand — 
T couldn’t get out of bed.” 
44 Fearfully upset, he was, pore dear,” 
testified Mrs. Scutts. 44 He can’t bear losing 
a day. I s’pose — I s’pose the railway com- 
pany will ’ave to do something if it’s serious, 
won’t they, sir ? ” 
“ Nothing to do with me,” said the doctor. 
44 I’ll put him on the club for a few days ; 1 
expect he will be all right soon. He’s got a 
healthy colour — a very healthy colour.” 
Mr. Scutts waited until he had left the 
house, and then made a few remarks on the 
colour question that for impurity of English 
and strength of diction have probably never 
been surpassed. 
A second visitor that day came after dinner — 
a tall man in a frock-coat, bearing in his hand 
a silk hat, which, after a careful survey of the 
room, he hung on a knob of the bed-post, 
44 Mr. Scutts ? ” he inquired, bowing. 
“ That’s me,” said Mr. Scutts, in a feeble 
voice. 
44 I’ve called from the railway company,” 
said the stranger. 44 We have seen now all 
those who left their names and addresses on 
Monday afternoon, and 1 am glad to say that 
nobody was really hurt. Nobody.” 
Mr. Scutts, in a faint voice, said he was 
glad to hear it. 
44 Been a wonder if they had,” said the other, 
cheerfully. 44 W T hy, even the paint wasn’t 
knocked off the engine. The most serious 
damage appears to be two top-hats crushed 
and an umbrella broken.” 
He leaned over the bed-rail and laughed 
joyously. Mr. Scutts, through half-closed 
eyes, gazed at him in silent reproach. 
44 1 don’t say that one or two people did 
not receive a little bit of a shock to their 
nerves,” said the visitor, thoughtfully. 44 One 
lady even stayed in bed next day. However, 
1 made it all right with them . The company is 
very generous, and although, of course, there 
is no legal obligation, they made several of 
them a present of a few pounds, so that they 
could go away for a little change, or anything 
of that sort, to quiet their nerves.” 
Mr. Scutts, who had been listening with 
closed eves, opened them languidly and said, 
44 Oh.” 
“ I gave one gentleman twen-ty pounds ! ” 
said the visitor, jingling some coins in his 
trouser-pocket. 44 I never saw a man so 
pleased and grateful in my life. When he 
signed the receipt for it — I always get them 
to sign a receipt, so that the company can see 
that I haven’t kept the money for myself — 
he nearly wept with joy.” 
