CHAPTERS FROM TURF HISTORY 



in his favour. However, in the last rounds of 

 the encounter the judgment and experience of 

 Pearce began to tell, and finding Gully's throat 

 with some fearful blows, the issue was no longer 

 in doubt. Colonel Mellish withdrew his man, 

 and the Champion of England was declared the 

 winner after sixty-four rounds had been fought, 

 lasting an hour and seventeen minutes. It had 

 been a magnificent struggle : both men had fought 

 their hardest, and both had suffered severely. 

 The last scene was dramatic. Pearce tottered up 

 to the beaten novice, grasped his hand, and in his 

 broad dialect congratulated him on the skill and 

 endurance he had shown, asserting before the 

 whole company that he was the best man he had 

 ever fought. 



On the retirement of Pearce, Gully, who had 

 gained great popularity by his performance, accepted 

 the championship. For two years his claim was 

 undisputed, but at length he was called upon to 

 defend his title. He was challenged by a fighter 

 from Lancashire, named Gregson, who up to that 

 time had beaten every bruiser who had ventured 

 to oppose him. The challenge was of course ac- 

 cepted, and on October 14, 1807, the two men met 

 at the then wayside settlement of Six Mile Bottom, 

 near Newmarket, to decide the Championship of 

 England for a stake of two hundred guineas. The 

 fight began shortly after 10 o'clock, and slight 

 odds were betted on Gully. They were a powerful 

 pair, over six feet in height, but the challenger 

 was the taller, and had the advantage of excep- 

 tional bodily strength. At the eighth round he 

 caught Gully in his arms and dashed him with 



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