“Don’t you be so sure about that!” cried a third. “I’ve seen Jack Harrison fight five times, and I never yet saw him have the worse of it. He’s a slaughterer, and so I tell you.” “He was, you mean.” “Well, I don’t see no such difference as all that comes to, and I’m putting ten guineas on my opinion.” “Why,” said a loud, consequential man from immediately behind me, speaking with a broad western burr, “vrom what I’ve zeen of this young Gloucester lad, I doan’t think Harrison could have stood bevore him for ten rounds when he vas in his prime. I vas coming up in the Bristol coach yesterday, and the guard he told me that he had vifteen thousand pound in hard gold in the boot that had been zent up to back our man.” “They’ll be in luck if they see their money again,” said another. “Harrison’s no lady’s-maid fighter, and he’s blood to the bone. He’d have a shy at it if his man was as big as Carlton House.” “Tut,” answered the west-countryman. “It’s only in Bristol and Gloucester that you can get men to beat Bristol and Gloucester.” “It’s like your damned himpudence to say so,” said an angry voice from the throng behind him. “There are six men in London that would hengage to walk round the best twelve that hever came from the west.” The proceedings might have opened by an impromptu bye-battle between the indignant cockney and the gentleman from Bristol, but a prolonged roar of applause broke in upon their altercation. It was caused by the appearance in the ring of Crab Wilson, followed by Dutch Sam and Mendoza carrying the basin, sponge, brandy-bladder, and other badges of their office. As he entered Wilson pulled the canary-yellow handkerchief from his waist, and going to the corner post, he tied it to the top of it, where it remained fluttering in the breeze. He then took a bundle of smaller ribands of the same colour from his seconds, and walking round, he offered them to the noblemen and Corinthians at half-a-guinea apiece as souvenirs of the fight. His brisk trade was only brought to an end by the appearance of Harrison, who climbed in a very leisurely manner over the ropes, as befitted his more mature years and less elastic joints. The yell which greeted him was even more enthusiastic than that which had heralded Wilson, and there was a louder ring of admiration in it, for the crowd had already had their opportunity of seeing Wilson’s physique, whilst Harrison’s was a surprise to them.