BOXING IX FRANCE. 93 



disfia'ure each other, and too often succeed in doinc' so. 

 They must be kept at arm's length as will not be difficult, 

 having a strong dislike to lose their beauty or their claret; 

 but if they come to close quarters, John Bull would be 

 puzzled at finding himself tackled and attacked in regions 

 where he was never attacked before. It is a common 

 dodge to throw in a kick, wdiich, if you arc not prepared, 

 knocks your legs away, and in a momentary stagger your 

 opponent rushes upon you and begins kicldng, kneading, 

 scratching, "nnguibus et rostris,'^ so as to bother you 

 awfully. A short time ago two gentlemen at Havrc 

 were talking of the respective modes of combat, and 

 a match was made of a French pugilist against an 

 English one. On the day appointed a large burly French- 

 man appeared on the ground, while the English champion 

 was small and light, but, as it proved, well np to his 

 work. The fight began by the Frenchman trying to 

 rush in upon and grapple the other, who constantly 

 threw in a peppering facer to stop him, until the big 

 fellow grew almost bUnd, but more cautious. He then 

 tried the noted kick, sparring a little to cover it, but just 

 as his foot was raised, his nimble antagonist, wdio was 

 well on the look-out, jumped aside, and seizing the foot in 

 Ms hand' isiirly tw^isted Monsieur Crapaud ofi" his legs, 

 pitching him down so heavily on his head as immediately 

 to put him Jiors de combat. 



There is a good deal of innate ferocity in the Breton 

 character when roused, and murders are not unfrequent. 

 Once in going down to dirmcr I found a man in the 

 court-yard before the house romping with a girl, and 



