36 Life iu the West. [JAN. 



time myself, but I brought myself nearly home; I am only out a couple of 

 hundred. Lord K , lost deep." 



Hon. G. Foppery. " I have a great idea of this fight. All the knowing 

 ones, I'm informed, are backing Wack'em. I think he must win, myself. I 

 see by Tattersall's list in the paper, that the odds upon him are five to four, 

 and that a great deal of money is laid out upon him." 



" Hellite. " It vill be a great battle. I have a great deal on it. It vill 

 be a fair fight. Vack'em must do his best, or he vill never be count'nanced 

 again. I'd take hodds, that Floor' em is beat in twenty rounds." 



No. 4 Box. 

 Two Gentlemen, friends, together. 



1st Gentleman. " What odds do you want, Sir?" 



Hellite. "A thousand sovereigns to one hundred." 



1st Gentleman. " Done, Sir." 



Hellite, (this being a bet he did not mean to make.) " Stop, Sir, a moment, 

 if you please;" then turning to Jem, and winking, "I'll give you the refoosel, 

 if vou please, Sir, as I have betted with you before." 



Jem." I'll bet them, Sir." 



Hellite. "Done, Sir." To the gentleman of No. 4 Box; "no bet vith 

 you, Sir." (Book out, bet entered.) 



Hon. G. Foppery. " I'll bet five hundred to four on Wack'em." 



Hellite, in a whisper. " Take it, Jem, and ve go halves." 



Jem. " It's a bet, Sir." Book out, and at last a real bet entered. 



Two or three legs, only half awake to things, and did not know that the 

 hellite and Jem were old cronies, took the whole scene literally, and related 

 it in many circles, by which a great number of persons were made to believe 

 that Wack'em was being backed heavy by the tip-tops, and were induced to 

 follow so good an example. 



Nothing can exceed the admirable convenience of this style of play. 

 Because riding, driving, boxing, shooting, billiard-playing against 

 " time," or against an adversary a man may not always be able to 

 ensure winning his match ; but it is hard if it is not in his power to 

 lose it. At length, accordingly, the great day of trial comes. The battle 



takes place, after a great deal of change and mystery, in Lord 's 



park, in Worcestershire. " Bill Wack'em" is driven to the ground by 

 Lord Hulse, in a " borrowed four-in-hand !" (this looks big to the 

 "small Sawneys," who "drop" full half the money gained on such occasions) 

 and the farce of the fight is gone through before multitudes of people. 

 In the 67th round, Bill Wack'em falls, " apparently from weakness, pro- 

 duced by punishment ;" and " time" is called in vain though the 

 dead might be roused by such cries as those of his agonized " backers." 

 His body, neck, and face (this is a very impudent piece of humbug) are 

 besmeared all over with blood, by a spunge which is used at fights 

 the blood being that which flowed from his nose by a blow in the fifth 

 round. Eventually he is carried, motionless, to a public-house ; and a 

 friend, in the disguise of a physician, opens a vein. He is surprised to 

 hear, of course, that he is at the " Monkey and Snuff-box," and has lost the 

 battle. A few days afterwards, he comes to town, " suffering inwardly" 

 from the heavy blows that he has received ; and is paid two hundred 

 pounds for the " job," by his " backers" (who have won four thousand 

 with an assurance " that he played his part to admiration !" 



The channels direct and indirect into which money is attracted out 

 of these exhibitions, are so many, that we should scarcely find space to 

 enumerate them. In fact, nothing short of the great combination of 

 interests that find their account in pushing the affair, could get up the 



