This was agreed to, and the pork dealer put on the gloves. For a time Ben let him get the best of it, merely warding off the blows, without trying to get in any himself. Then he proposed that they should bet the drinks on the first blood. The countryman thought he would have to try it once, whereupon Ben braced up and planted one on his opponent's smeller, which caused the claret to flow copiously. "Waal, neow; you got me that time!" exclaimed the countryman. "Suppose we try it once for the first knock-down?" As may be easily guessed, it didn't take Ben but a precious short time to lay out his antagonist, and after the two rounds of drinks had been ordered and paid for, Hogan told the pork dealer who he really was. Of course it surprised him, but not quite as much as did another discovery which he afterward made, and which will be described hereafter. During Ben's stay in Rochester he had his first public association with Tom Allen. Allen turned up in the town and gave a sparring exhibition along with Shedder and Bill Riley, the entertainment closing with a set-to between Hogan and Allen. This was the first meeting of the men, and it is well to note that Ben gave his opponent more than he wanted. Charley Perkins, who is known among sporting men, from his connection at one time with Heenan, offered to back Ben for one thousand dollars against Allen. A challenge to this effect was sent to _The New York Clipper_, accompanied by the requisite deposit. It chanced that after the challenge had been sent, Cummings fell in with Perkins, and told him that he (Cummings) could lick Hogan or Perkins either. Perkins reminded the windy Cummings that he had seen Hogan offer to fight him in Rochester for anything from five hundred dollars to a chew of tobacco, and instead of accepting the offer, Cummings had slunk away, and had had Hogan arrested. As for whipping him (Perkins) he did not believe that Cummings or any of his tribe could successfully undertake that job. The hot words very soon led to arguments of a more forcible nature--in other words, the men resorted to their fists. Perkins knocked Cummings down twice in quick succession. Then Cummings, who entertained some curious ideas of the pugilistic art, finding that he could not fairly whip his opponent, bit off a part of Perkins' nose. This disgraceful proceeding naturally aroused much indignation in Rochester. It was, indeed, the excitement growing out of the affray which put an end to the proposed fight between Hogan and Allen. Other explanations than this have been offered, and it has been openly asserted that Hogan weakened. The simple statement of facts here given should serve to quiet all such stories in the future.