1828.] Life in the West. 37 



prestige which is necessary to draw in the losers, who are to pay for it. 

 When this feeling is once started, however, it works itself. Every four 

 fools that are going to a fight, carry a fifth (this is accurately calculated) 

 along with them. The sure winners are busy in all quarters, and pro- 

 ceed upon plans of all descriptions. Some have the secret from the 

 beginning : and these work upon a large scale. Many go down, without 

 the " office," to bet with any monied man that does not insist to " cover," 

 intending to disappear, if they happen to have chosen the wrong side. 

 Some lay themselves out for the particular " saps," and, beginning in 

 good time (where a match is nearly even), get " the odds" betted both 

 ways. And some remain in town on the day of the fight, to get early 

 intelligence of the event, and " nail a flat" before it is thought possible 

 the news can have arrived. 



They come to the scene of action provided with well-trained pigeons (the 

 feathered tribe are here meant, for be it remembered that there are other 

 sorts of pigeons, trained in a different manner, and even more necessary to be 

 a party to the proceedings,) and which upon the issue of, the fight taking- 

 place, are immediately sent upon the wing for London, with little billets 

 attached to them, to communicate the most speedily to some of the "legs" 

 who remain in town, for the purpose of working the early and secret intelli- 

 gence to the best advantage. These also make a certain, and at times, a 

 great harvest. Bets to the amount of thousands are often made in the evening 

 of the day of the fight, when it takes place at a distance from town, from 

 whence it is supposed the news cannot arrive under a given time. The 

 rapidity with which a pigeon can fly, is too well known to require farther 

 mention. 



These last, however, are sometimes " floored" themselves, by relying 

 on uncertain intelligence, or by treachery on the part of the agent who 

 engages to transmit the fact. On the first fight between Cannon and 

 Joshua Hudson, about three years since, a whole party who intended to 

 make money by the " first news," and had engaged a pigeon-fancier to 

 go down to the scene of action, were " let in," in this way. When the 

 morning of the fight came which was to take place about thirty miles 

 from London the weather was, as if on purpose, black and foggy ! It 

 was clear to the pigeon-fancier that no pigeon that ever was hatched 

 could find its way ten miles through such an atmosphere ; and, if the 

 thing failed, he lost. his trouble of going down, the ten guineas he was to 

 receive for the news, and perhaps his pigeon into the bargain. In this 

 emergency all the world had made up its mind that Cannon had not a 

 chance of the battle the bird-fancier, whose hopes turned probability 

 into certainty, resolved to take the event for granted. Instead of taking 

 himself down to Windsor, he took his pigeon, about the time that the 

 battle was likely to be over, up to Highgate-hill ; and turned the 

 bird up, with a note under its wing, on which was written " Jos won 

 easy !" The pigeon came to hand in due course. The " legs," who had 

 almost despaired when they saw the aspect of the day, paid their ten 

 guineas in delight, and received the precious billet. And it was not till 

 they had " laid it on thick all round" for it was necessary to lay heavy 

 odds to get bets so general was the opinion that the event would be as 

 they had received it that a witness arrived with the real intelligence 

 " probabilities" were not to be trusted ; and " Jos had lost the battle !" 



All tyros who may read these presents, and are troubled with the ail- 

 ment of incredulousness, will do well to take one short rule to regulate their 



