e many
killed and wounded, perhaps."

"Now in a few words you tell the whole story, and you tell it well and
without illustrations or diagrams, and without any unnecessary frills by
the way of editorials. So will we give the fight to a finish on Bosworth
Field without any pictorial work. We'll just give it."

"'Tis your idea, then, to give the act simply with the combat without
explanation?"

"Not exactly in the way you put it."

"Say, Handy, an idea strikes me. What do you say to the suggestion of
doing the combat scene with two-ounce gloves. A great scheme, eh? Don't
you think so? 'Twould be modernizing the piece and bring it down to
date."

"Shades of Shakespeare, angels and ministers of graces defend us! Smith,
Smith, my boy, don't talk tommy-rot! Gloves instead of swords! Go to.
Don't you know, my friend, that a glove fight might leave _Richmond_
open to a challenge from some ambitious and undeveloped Gotown pugilist,
and then where would we be--I mean you? Oh, no! But I tell you what
wouldn't be altogether out of place."

"Well, let us hear it."

"We might be able to impress some young limb of the law, in the shape of
a lawyer, into the service, who no doubt might, after a brief study of
Professor John Phinn's vocabulary of Shakespeare, be willing to go on
and tell who _Richard_ and _Richmond_ were in their day, and how
_Richard_ got the stuffin' knocked out of him because he was crooked and
a tyrant and a monopolist. And, moreover, as all lawyers like to show
off in the spouting line, when they get the chance, he might say a good
word or two for the immortal Bard of Avon. Not that Shakespeare wants
it, but merely as an evidence of good faith."

"Bully! The more I see of you, Handy, the more convinced I am of your
remarkable genius."

"Oh, that's all right, Smith. Now, then, let me ask you. Can Daisey De
Vere"--the only woman remaining of the company--"sing and dance?"

"She has ability and she is willing to stand by us."

"Has she the experience?"

"Plenty of it, such as it is. And she's anxious for more if she gets the
show. Besides, Daisey is a good, straight girl, and these are the kind,
I am sorry to say, that have the toughest time in getting ahead, but
when one of them gets there it's all smooth sailing afterwards. Yes,
Daisey can do anything and everything a decent girl can try to do. You
can't faize her. You may put her down for anything to help out. She's
been there before."

"What kind