THE RING, THE TURF, AND PARLIAMENT 



from imprisonment. One day he brought to the 

 Fleet a set of gloves and engaged Gully in a friendly 

 sparring match. The champion was astonished 

 at the boy's natural proficienc}/, which had only 

 been acquired in casual encounters with local 

 bullies of the roadside. It then occurred to Pearce 

 that, to extricate Gully from his debts, a fight 

 between them should be arranged for one thousand 

 guineas. A well-known sportsman was found to 

 stake six hundred guineas on behalf of Pearce 

 against four hundred put down for Gully by 

 Colonel Mellish, at that time the most popular 

 plunger in England. The butcher's creditors, see- 

 ing their money secured, consented to his release 

 from the Fleet, and young Gully stepped out into 

 the sunshine a free man. Pearce told him before- 

 hand that he was destined to be soundly beaten, 

 but that if he showed himself a stout fighter, as 

 he thought he would, his fortune would be made. 

 It was an ingenious device, alike creditable to the 

 generosity of the elder man and to the courage 

 of the younger. 



A fortnight before the naval victory of Trafalgar 

 the fight took place at Hailsham, on the road 

 between Brighton and Lewes, in the presence of 

 a vast assembly, including the Duke of Clarence, 

 afterwards King William IV. In the opening rounds 

 the youthful challenger, who had been in training 

 at Virginia Water, appeared hopelessly outmatched. 

 Again and again was he knocked down, but by 

 degrees acquiring confidence, and making full use 

 of the height and reach in which he was superior 

 to his opponent, he hit the champion off his legs 

 time after time, and the odds were called slightly 



87 



