27.――Nick slow in approaching the scratch, and Caunt impatient to be at him. Holt cautioned Caunt not to cross the scratch till his man reached it. Caunt let fly with his right, and again caught Nick heavily on the body, following this up with a smart touch from his left on the mazzard. Nick again went down on one knee, and, while in that position, struck Caunt with his left. Caunt stooped, nodded, and laughed at him, as he looked up in his face. Nick also nodded and laughed. “We’ll have a fair fight to-day, Nick,” said Caunt. 28.――Good counter-hits with the left, when Caunt once more grasped Ward, and held him up; but Ward slipped from his arms, and got down. 29.――Ward slow, when Caunt planted two right-handed hits on Ward’s jaw and neck. Ward slipped down on one knee, but Caunt refrained from striking him, although entitled to do so by the rules of the Ring. 30.――Caunt lost no time in rushing to his man, and planted his right heavily on the side of his head. Ward hit widely left and right, and went down on his face. 31.――Ward evidently began to lose all confidence, and fought extremely shy. Caunt rushed in, caught his head under his arm, and although he might have hit him with great severity, he restrained himself, and let him fall. 32.――Ward came up evidently counter to his own inclinations, being urged forward by his seconds. Caunt caught him left and right, and he fell to avoid further punishment. 33.――Caunt gave a lungeing slap with his right on Ward’s pimple, when Ward dropped on both knees, and popped his head between Caunt’s knees. He seemed disposed to poke in anywhere out of danger’s way, and any odds were offered on Caunt. 34.――Caunt rushed in to mill, but Ward had obviously made up his mind to be satisfied, and down he went without a blow. 35, and last.――Ward was “kidded” up once more by his second and bottle-holder; but it was clear that all the King’s horses and all the King’s men could not draw him to the scratch with anything like a determination to protract the combat. Caunt let fly right and left at his mug, and down he went for the last time. His brother ran to him, but it was all up; and as the only excuse for such a termination to the battle, Nick pretended that his ribs were broken from the heavy right-handed hits of Caunt, and that he was incapable of continuing the contest. Caunt was thus proclaimed the conqueror, and “THE CHAMPION OF ENGLAND,” amidst a general cheer, and expressions of contempt towards Ward――so strongly emphasised that the usual collection for the losing man was omitted by Holt, who shook a hat with a few halfpence he had himself dropped into it, and then put them in his pocket with a laugh.