LORD GEORGE BENTINCK AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN TURF. 453 



found that he could use his fists when he thrashed a bullying prize-fighter for setting his 

 dog unfairly at a bull. After that, he found himself in a debtor's prison where Pearce, 

 " the Game Chicken," gave him lessons, and suggested a match which was finally 

 arranged through the good offices of Colonel Mellish. Pearce had been brought up to 

 town by Jem Belcher after that extraordinary natural fighter lost his eye from the blow 

 of a racquet-ball, and had promptly smashed the pretensions of Joe Berks (twice), of 

 Elias Spray and of Stephen Carte. Backed by Colonel Mellish, Gully fought his 

 old tutor and met his only defeat, for after a desperate battle Pearce proved himself 

 unequalled, and though Gully always 

 asserted he could have gone on, his 

 backer threw up the sponge, and 

 Pearce claimed the championship. It 

 was challenged from a very unex- 

 pected quarter. Jem Belcher insisted 

 on fighting his old friend, and was 

 backed with 500 guineas by Mr. 

 Hitcher Reid, who was not alone in 

 believing that " the Napoleon of the 

 P. R." could not be beaten even with 

 only one eye. Captain Halliday 

 joined in backing the Game Chicken 

 with Colonel Mellish, in whose park 

 at Blythe, some ten miles from the 

 St. Leger course, the fight came off 

 on December 6th, 1805. It ended 

 by a terrific blow from the Chicken 

 which broke two of Belcher's ribs in 

 the eighteenth round. Again, against advice, Belcher emerged from retirement to 

 fight Tom Cribb at Moulsey Hurst, in April, 1807. The road from London looked 

 like the road to Epsom on the Derby Day, and the company was almost as good, for 

 it included the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV. Belcher's extraordinary 

 skill and activity were only beaten by Cribb's stolid endurance and thick skull. Twenty 

 to one on him went begging. After a splendid fight his knuckles were driven in, his 

 hands became utterly useless, and he had to acknowledge a glorious defeat. By 1808 

 Gully had retired from the championship and the P.R., and Cribb, trained by Captain 



VOL. II. 





Mr. John Gully. M.P. 



O 



