Bendigo’s next fight was with Deaf Burke, and it took place near Appleby in Warwickshire, on February 12th, 1839. Bendigo was in first-rate condition, whilst his opponent looked pale and flabby. A diverting incident marked the preliminary arrangements, for there appeared at the ringside a “not unlikely woman,” as _Bell’s Life_ calls her, a friend of the “Deaf ‘un,” who shook hands with him over the ropes and remained in that position of vantage throughout the battle. Bendigo fought right foot foremost and in a rather stooping position, whilst Burke’s attitude was more orthodox but a little too square, judged by the standard of Belcher and Spring. The man who stands square to his antagonist offers a bigger target, and it has been reckoned from the beginning of the nineteenth century that “edgeways on” is the better mode. The first round was a good one. Both fought carefully and hit hard. Bendigo’s left was straight and true, and the exchange of blows was equal. They closed at the end and both went down together. The second set-to was much the same, though it was noticed that Burke breathed the more heavily. In the next round, however, Bendigo went ahead, hitting again and again without a return. Burke seemed to be almost paralysed, unable either to defend himself or to hit back. His left eye was closed and at the end of the round, when Bendigo threw and fell on him, he was evidently feeling ill. He was much marked, whilst Bendigo was quite fresh and with hardly a flush to show that he had been hit. The fourth round was similarly Bendigo’s. Burke fought with dogged pluck, but was clearly out of condition. His seconds shouted to him to go in and fight, and he did his best, but his opponent’s straight and well-judged blows came and returned to the same bad eye and battered nose. Finally Bendigo stepped back rather too quickly, tripped against the lower rope, and fell out of the ring.