Rodney Stone

public as Corinthians and patrons of sport. He had invited not only the chief fighting-men of the day, but also those men of fashion who were most interested in

ent had already spread through the clubs,

men who were blasé from luxury and high living seemed to find a fresh piquancy in life by descending to the lowest resorts, so that the night-houses and gambling-dens in Covent Garden or the Haymarket often gathered illustrious company

curtains, a sanded floor, and walls which were covered with prints of pugilists and race-horses. Brown liquor-stained tables were dotted about in it, and round one of these half a dozen fo

me ale and some liptrap," whispered the landlor

are you, Maddox? How are you, Baldwin?

t the fellow on the table, who continued to swing hi

e you,

idy. 'Ow

Belcher, and with a sudden tilt of the table he

one o' that!" sa

d. You're not drinkin' black-jack in a boozin' ken, but you are meet

rt of man," said Berks, thickly, "but if so b

of our friends. How are you, Apreece? How are you, Colonel? Well, Jackson, you are looking vastly better. Good evening, Lade. I trust Lady Lade was none the worse for ou

the sturdy figure and broad, good-humoured face of Champion Harrison. The sight of him was like a whiff o

nowledge. I can't hardly believe that it was really you that used to come down to bl

of Friar's Oak?

again, and that he hopes to see you here in London before many days are past; for he is coming up to se

Boy

's good-humoured

ever was, and I feel it, Master Rodney. Between ourselves, I have very good reason to wish him to stay with me, and I am sure that, with his high spirit and h

antly dressed, was strolling towards us. He stared

"This is a resurrection. Where

aid my companion. "You look a

t when I could get no one to fight

ith's work do

shy at my belt. I tell you honestly, betw

, but the old woman was against it. She's been a good wife to me and I can't go

o better bit of stuff was ever seen in a twenty-four foot ring. It would be a rare tr

tened at the idea, b

my promise. That's Belcher, ain't it-the g

You've not seen

he youngster beside him

rom the West. Crab

I've heard of him," said he. "They are

the match to-night, I understand. Jem Belcher thinks great things of Crab Wilson. There's Belcher's young brother, Tom. He's looking o

but when his gristle sets he'll take on anything on the list. Bristol's as full o' young fightin'-men now as a bin is of bottles.

d Jackson, as a hum and

smile upon his comely face. My uncle welcomed him,

kson. "Here's Joe Berks drinkin' gin out of a mug,

other prize-fighters. "'E ain't what you'd call a charmer w

le prize-fighting body, by whom he was usually alluded to as the Commander-in-Chief. He and Belcher went across now to

d to-night, Berks," said Jacks

the table. "Where is 'e, gov'nor? Tell 'im Joe Berks wo

as he tried to push his way through the crowd. "You've got to keep your

that, g

have a peaceful evening, as Jem Belcher and I will sh

"I'm sure I've always 'ad the name

t the supper is ready for us, and there's the Prince and Lord Sole go

By his wise precaution the seats had been allotted beforehand, so that the gentlemen might be scattered among the professionals and no risk run of two enemies finding themselves together, or a man who had been recently beaten falling into the company of his

'ere I am nearly seventeen. It's the business that does it, what with loflin' about behind the bar all day, and bei

son. "I'm a smith by trade, and I've no

tock way, 'e drives a 'ackney. Young Firby, the ruffian, 'e's a waiter now. Dick 'Umphries sells coals-'e was always of a genelmanly disposition. George Ingleston is a brewer's drayman. W

famous prize-fighter to be subjected to, but several bull-faced

th the wine in their heads. 'Are you Tom Owen the bruiser?' says one o' them. 'At your service, sir,' says I. 'Take that, then,' says he, and

r cork in return

than a doctor doctors for love, or a butcher gives away a loin chop. Put up a small purse, master, and I'll do you ove

uinea on the counter-which they do if they 'ave been drinkin' very 'eavy

f they

y of 'is Majesty's liege, William Warr, and I 'as 'em before

mising meals which prevailed in the days of your grandfathers, and whi

and, indeed, as I looked through the steam of the dishes at the lines of fierce and rugged faces, and the mighty shoulders which rounded themselves over the board, I could have imagined myself at one of those old-world carousals of which I had read, where the savage company gnawed the joints to the bone, and then, with murderous horseplay, hurled the r

the English, although they were ten to one, had not the game entirely to themselves, but t

at him, it seemed to me that there was a shadow of tragedy upon his face, a forecast of the day then but a few months distant when a blow from a racquet ball darkened the sight of one eye for ever. Had he stopped there, with his unbeaten career behind him, then indeed the evening of his life might have been as glorious as its dawn. But his proud heart could not permit his title to be torn from him without a struggle.

ing. He could boast also of the higher honour of having been the first born American to win laurels in the British ring. There also I saw the keen features of Dada Mendoza, the Jew, just retired from active work, and leaving behind him a reputation for elegance and perfect science which has, to this day, never been exceeded. The worst fault that the critics could find with him was that there was a want of power in his blows-a remark which certainly could not have been made about his neighbour, whose long face, curved nose, and dark, flashing eyes pro

out to me all these celebrities, the echoes of whose fam

. That little cove with the leery face is Caleb Baldwin the Coster, 'im that they call the Pride of Westminster. 'E's but five foot seven, and nine stone five, but 'e's got the 'eart of a giant. 'E's never been beat, and there ain't a man within a stone of 'im that could beat 'im, except only Dutch Sam. There's George Maddox, too, another o' the same bree

f Bill Warr's stubby forefinger. "He's the fastest bowler in the Midlands, and a

est men of London. 'E's an evergreen, is Tom. Why, he was turned five-and-fifty when he challenged and beat, after fifty minutes

g voice from the other side of the tab

the deep wrinkles and pouchings of extreme age had been added to a face which had always been grotesquely ugly, and had been crushed and smashed in addition by many a blow. I had noticed this creature at the beginning of the meal, leaning his chest against the edge of the table as if its support was a welcome one, and feebly picking at the food which was placed before him. Grad

e was just the same as that when I joined the ring twen

'alf-a-crown. 'E 'ad no face to spoil, d'ye see, for 'e was always the ugliest man in England. But 'e's been on the shelf now

ters," droned the old man,

re, Tom, give old Buckhorse a sup o

ll eyes, a tinge of colour came into his wax-like cheeks, and, opening his toothless mouth, he suddenly emitted a peculiar, bell-like, and most m

hey cried. "Buckhorse

ds. "It von't be long that you'll be able to see my crooks vich 'ave been on Figg's conk, and on Jack Broughton's, and

couraged the old man by half-deri

it 'em straight! Tell us how the m

looked round him

hat ain't fit to flick a fly from a joint o' meat. You'd make werry good ladies' m

ver the mouth," sa

hangman the job of breaking your neck i

f-drunken ruffian, staggering to his feet. "

with such a tone of command that

osia's guard, day by day, year in, year out, until 'e 'ad worked out the whole regiment of 'em-and the smallest of 'em six foot long. There's not more'n a few of you could 'it a dint

Buckhorse?" crie

genelmen down to Figg and he said to him: ''Ere's a cove vot cracks a bone every time 'e lets vly, and it'll be little credit to the Lunnon boys if they lets 'im get avay vithout a vacking.' So Figg he ups, and he says, 'I do not know, master, but he may break one of 'is countrymen's jawbones vid 'is vist, but I'll bring 'i

d be glad to hear the end of your story, Buckhorse,"

'ye see, and Jack Figg 'imself just for fair play to do vot was right by the cove from voreign parts. They vas packed all round, the folks was, but down through the middle of 'em was a passage just so as the gentry could come through to their seats, and the stage it vas of wood, as the custom then vas, and a man's 'eight above the 'eads of the people. Vell, then, ven Bob was put up opposite this great Eytalian man I says 'S

er's story. "Well," cried a dozen voices, "what

t the knee. So they up-ended 'im, they did, an' they made a lane for 'im an' cheered 'im to give 'im 'eart, though 'e never lacked for that. At virst 'e vas that dazed that 'e didn't know if 'e vas in church or in 'Orsemonger Gaol; but ven I'd bit 'is two ears 'e shook 'isself

l? W

e as 'ard as 'is 'oofs would carry 'im. Up jumps the 'ole crowd, and after 'im as 'ard as they could move for laughin'. They vas lyin' in the kennel three deep all down Tottenham Court road wid their 'ands to their sides just vit to break themselves in

w studded with bottles and glasses, while long clay pipes and tobacco-boxes were handed round. My uncle never smoked, thinking that the habit might darken his teeth, but many of the Corinthians, and the Prince amongst the first of them, set the example of lighting up. All restraint had been done away with, and the prize-fighters, flushed with wine

hat night of the illustrious personage whom he should refer to as the Earl of Chester. He was sorry that the season prevented him from placing game upon the table, but there was so much sitting round it that it would perhaps be hardly missed (cheers and laughter). The sports of the ring had, in his opinion, tended to that contempt of pain and of danger which had contributed so much in the past to the safety of the country, and which might, if what he heard was true, be very quickly needed once more. If an enemy landed upon our shores it was t

ness which many a public man might

ture. It should be easy, now that backers and fighting men are gathered together under one roof, to come to terms with each other. I

se with a pape

th of this year, any man of any weight who may be selected by Sir Charles Tregellis. Sir Charles Tregellis's selection is limited to men below twenty or above thirty-five years of age, so a

em all, fighters and backers, as they bent thei

-three, and that, although he has never fought a regular P.R. battle,

a dozen times at the

n, Sir John, that I am laying o

e, "what the exact height a

nd thirteen-ten, yo

ing on two legs," said Jackson, and the

s of the fight

e ring to be twenty foot square. Neither to fall without a knock-down blow, subject to the decision of the umpires. Three u

cle b

nything to

ky figure, and a craggy, bony face, passed

ght west-country burr, "a twenty-voot rin

murmur of profes

you have i

twenty, Si

y objection,

he sli

g else,

I'd like to know wh

ave not publicly nominat

morning of the fight. I believe I have

you choose to

astly pleased if Mr. Berkeley Crav

onsent, the final formalities which led up

on the occasion of their battle at Hornchurch, eight years before, came to the front once more. Dutch Sam hurled a shilling down upon the table, and offered to fight the Pride of Westminster for it if he ventured to say that Mendoza had been fairly beaten. Joe Berks, who had grown noisier and more quarrelsome as the evening went on, tried to clamber

make a very great difference to the standing of a boxer whether he should be regarded as the heaviest of the light-weights, or the lightest of the heavy-weights. One claimed to be ten-stone champion, another was ready to take on anything at eleven, but would not run to twelve, which would

that he was quite sure that we should never get through the night without trouble, and was advising me, if it got v

ith raised eyebrows and a gesture of surprise. Then my uncle ro

er waiting below who desires a fight to