;68 Did you ever Drive a Jibber down to aFight ? 



you what you do. You see that four-wheeler there ? Well, 

 master's going to drive a few friends down to the fight in it hisself, 

 and I shouldn't wonder, as you aint a very big 'un, if he would not 

 give you a lift as well. You'd better go and speak to him ; you'll 

 find him indoors." 



"Yes," I said, "that's all very well, but I expect the fight'll be 

 half over by this, for the stakes were pitched before I left." 



" Oh, no," replied the fellow coolly, as he led the horse up the 

 yard J " the fight's not begun yet." And I went into the inn. 



It was one of those rambling old roadside inns — a house of accom- 

 modation for the large waggons which in that day used to come 

 up from all parts of the country to London, and for the droves ot 

 cattle on their way up to Smithfield Market. Although there 

 doubtless was a parlour, I walked straight into the large, clean, 

 bricked kitchen, before the fire of which a jovial-looking man, half 

 gamekeeper, half farmer, was standing in his shirt-sleeves, smoking 

 a pipe ; and I at once took him to be the landlord. There were 

 three or four other men in the room, one of whom bore the unmis- 

 takable impress of the prize-fighter (but I did not know him) ; 

 while seated by the fire was a man whose countenance I could not 

 then catch, swathed in a rough white great-coat, a fur cap on his 

 head, and a flaming yellow-and-white handkerchief round his neck, 

 and whom, at the first glance, I took to be a poacher. I imme- 

 diately opened the ball by ordering "glasses all round," and then 

 told the landlord exactly my position. After a hearty laugh at my 

 expense, he said I need be under no apprehension of losing the 

 fight, for although, if 1 liked, I had lots of time to run back to the 

 ring, if I chose to wait I might willingly "hang on" his iour- 

 wdieeler ; and adding, " Depend upon it, sir, we mean to sec it," 

 he turned away to brew the brandy-and-water, which wa!» the 

 liquor selected by the company. I must confess I was altogether 

 puzzled by the cool way in which they all seemed to be taking 

 matters ; and I ventured to remark to the rough gentleman by the 

 fire, that if we did mean to go, I thought it was about time we left : 

 when he gruffly replied, "Oh, there's lots of time! they wont 

 fight till I get there." "And why not?" I asked, determined to 



