8 Tom Spring's Back Parlour, 



highest in Ihe land to arrange what we called 'Prize 

 Battles ' when I first began, and any fight with a lot of 

 noblemen behind Mr. Jackson was pretty sure to be square, 

 and if a young man really could fight, and did not show the 

 white feather, he might make his way if he took care what 

 company he went into ; but if he was ever seen in company 

 with blacklegs, he was marked. 



'' The worst of the Rmg was that, when a man had a 

 house and wanted to make money quickly, he would keep a 

 kind of raree-shop, and sell any poison to anyone who 

 would come and drink it, and then he generally went into 

 the trap himself, and drank himself out ; and lost his 

 licence, and ended worse than he began. The grand secret 

 is to keep a good name, and keep your friends. Why, all 

 kind of gentlemen come in here at Derby time or Cattle 

 Show week, and those times — sometimes a lord, or a 

 baronet, or old country gentlemen who saw me fight my 

 early battles perhaps, many of them twenty years older 

 than I am, — and they treat me like a man, and come for 

 old acquaintance sake ; but I don't care for your swaggei'ing 

 betting men, half gentlemen, half, or more than half, 

 rogues. Some of the sporting publicans will let any one of 

 these fellows pat them on the back, and call them ' Bill,' 

 or ' Jack,' or ' Tom,' and think that their sixpenny worth of 

 brandy -and-water is a great consideration. I wouldn't give 

 sixpence for the whole gang. This is my house, and I am 

 landlord, and I choose my own company." 



I once saw Spring settle a snob, and I once saw him 

 settle a bully. The first occasion was when a short, stout, 

 brandy-and-water-faced, dirty-nailed, hot-handed cad, with 

 a sky-blue satin neckcloth, Avith a waterfall to ditto, illumi- 

 nated with a large pin, the device of which was a pair of 

 silver spurs, and wearing no collar, came in, and, holding 

 out his black hand, on the little finger of which glistened a 



