We come now to another of the outstanding figures of the Prize-Ring, the famous Tom Spring. This man’s real name was Winter--“sharp as Winter, kind as Spring”--as Borrow has it. He was born in the county of Hereford in 1795. His height was 5 feet, 11¾ inches, and in perfect condition he weighed 13 stone 6 lb. During his career he fought a dozen main battles, being beaten once by Ned Painter, whom he had previously defeated. They refused to fight out the rubber because they had become fast friends, and Spring, who was perfectly confident of winning the third time, did not wish to risk that friendship. It was Tom Cribb, visiting the West of England on a sparring tour, who inflamed the young man’s imagination. As a lad Winter drove a butcher’s cart, but he had a spirit above this humdrum avocation. And, contriving to win the old Champion’s confidence, he came to London and immediately made a name for himself. On Cribb’s retirement he became Champion, and remained so until he himself retired in favour of Jem Ward. In the year following Neate’s victory over the Gasman, a match was arranged between him and Tom Spring for _£_200 a side, which, after being once postponed, finally took place at Hinkley Downs, near Andover, on May 20th, 1823. This was the first real fight for the championship since the defeat of Molineux by Cribb in 1811. The betting was in favour of Spring, though Neate did not lack support. He was seconded by Tom Belcher and Harry Harmer, while the old champion and Ned Painter, his late antagonist and warmest friend, looked after Spring.