Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger BaitingRobinson, Jacob
History
Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger Baiting
Robinson, Jacob
Wrestlers; Wrestling
Represent to yourself the earliest dawn of a fine summer's morning, time
about half-past two o'clock. A young man, anxious for an introduction to
Mr. Wilson, and as yet pretty nearly a stranger to the country, has taken
up his abode in Grasmere, and has strolled out at this early hour to that
rocky and moorish common (called the White Moss) which overhangs the Vale
of Rydal, dividing it from Grasmere. Looking southwards in the direction of
Rydal, suddenly he becomes aware of a huge beast advancing at a long trot,
with the heavy and thundering tread of a hippopotamus, along the public
road. The creature is soon arrived within half a mile of his station; and
by the grey light of morning is at length made out to be a bull, apparently
flying from some unseen enemy in his rear. As yet, however, all is mystery;
but suddenly three horsemen double a turn in the road, and come flying into
sight with the speed of a hurricane, manifestly in pursuit of the fugitive
bull. The bull labours to navigate his huge bulk to the moor, which he
reaches, and then pauses panting and blowing out clouds of smoke from his
nostrils, to look back from his station amongst rocks and slippery crags
upon his hunters. If he had conceited that the rockiness of the ground had
secured his repose, the foolish bull is soon undeceived; the horsemen,
scarcely relaxing their speed, charge up the hill, and speedily gaining the
rear of the bull, drive him at a gallop over the worst part of that
impracticable ground down to the level ground below. At this point of time
the stranger perceives by the increasing light of the morning that the
hunters are armed with immense spears fourteen feet long. With these the
bull is soon dislodged, and scouring down to the plain below, he and the
hunters at his tail take to the common at the head of the lake, and all, in
the madness of the chase, are soon half engulphed in the swamp of the
morass. After plunging together for about ten or fifteen minutes all
suddenly regain the _terra firma_, and the bull again makes for the rocks.
Up to this moment, there had been the silence of ghosts; and the stranger
had doubted whether the spectacle were not a pageant of aërial
spectres--ghostly huntsmen, ghostly lances, and a ghostly bull. But just at
this crisis, a voice (it was the voice of Mr. Wilson) shouted aloud, "Turn
the villain! turn that villain! or he will take to Cumberland." The young
stranger did the service required; the villain was turned, and fled
southwards; the hunters, lance in rest, rushed after him; all bowed their
thanks as they fled past; the fleet cavalcade again took the high road;
they doubled the cape which shut them out of sight; and in a moment all had
disappeared, and left the quiet valley to its original silence, whilst the
young stranger, and two grave Westmorland "statesmen," (who by this time
had come into sight upon some accident or other) stood wondering in
silence, and saying to themselves, perhaps,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account