"Hogan replied that this exercise served to enlarge both mind and body, and invited him to balance a thirty pound dumb-bell. The minister declined, and began to realize his mistake. Hogan, finding him to be a pleasant gentleman, with a humorous turn, soon explained the situation, not omitting to tell how many times he had been mistaken for a clergyman. The reverend gentleman realized the situation, and remarked that he had never made a more serious mistake in his life, looked the gymnasium carefully over, admitted the necessity for such institutions, shook hands, and laughed heartily when Ben told him how many prize fights he had been engaged in. "The clergyman then explained to the professor that his appearance and general make-up, together with the book he supposed to be the Bible, and the _Times_ (which he knew to be a religious journal) all led him to believe he had met a brother and an earnest worker in the vineyard. "Ben admitted that he didn't know much about the vineyard, but remarked that he was an earnest worker in the gymnasium. After a brief (very brief) season of mutual congratulations, the rural divine started to seek a genuine brother with a study more to his taste." CHAPTER XXIV. One More Challenge to Allen--Return to the Oil Country--Ben and McDonald--Opens Dance House in Elks City--Bullion House--Kitty Runs away. While our hero was in Grand Rapids he made still another effort to bring about a match with Tom Allen. To effect this end, he published a challenge of which the subjoined is a _verbatim_ copy: "_Mr. Tom Allen, St. Louis._ "DEAR SIR: Noting in the Chicago _Times_ of the 3d instant, in an account of the fights you have been engaged in, a reference to myself, which is both unprofessional and ungentlemanly, written by your trainer, and instigated, as I believe, by yourself, I hasten to put myself aright before the public. "I had retired, as I hoped, permanently from the ring, with loathing and disgust of the practice, but cannot permit so insulting an allusion to myself to pass unnoticed. I hereby challenge you to meet me in the ring at any point within fifty miles of Detroit, in Canada, for fun, simply to decide who is the better man. I will pay, on a week's notice, your expenses to Detroit. "If you prefer not to fight for sport, but money, I will agree to fight you for one thousand dollars a side, within three months from this date, which is more than is at stake in your coming mill with Goss.