2 86 Among Men and Horses 



turning summersaults, so he took up prize righting as the 

 next easiest job. He was, at the time I met him, in the 

 unfortunate predicament of not being able to get on a match 

 with anyone at 9 stone, and of not being good enough to 

 concede 14 lbs. to Kelly. The fight between the Maritzburg 

 lad and Donovan was decided in the Orange Free State, 

 and when the police of that Republic tried to stop it, the 

 backers of Kelly, who saw that their man was winning 

 easily, pulled out their revolvers and declared that they 

 would shoot anyone who interrupted the game. The battle 

 was then continued, and Kelly won. As business was boom- 

 ing merrily along in South Africa at that time, Kelly, who I 

 may mention is a steady young fellow and fond of athletics, 

 netted as a result of his victory a large sum, which I do not 

 think I would be far out by estimating at about £3000. With 

 this in his pocket, he took a pleasure trip to England, 

 and proud of his title of middle-weight champion of South 

 Africa, he got on a match with a then unknown man called 

 Nickless, who knocked him about in such an easy style, 

 that the Sporting Life and Sportsman, on the supposition 

 that Nickless was a fourth-rate man, made merry over the 

 lamentable ignorance of South African people about boxing, 

 when such a duffer as Kelly could pose as their champion. 

 So Kelly returned to Maritzburg far poorer in money and fame 

 than when he had left it, and recommenced serving drinks 

 over the bar of his patron publican, with a chastened spirit. 

 Time, the healer, at last brought its salve for the lad's 

 wounded vanity ; for Nickless soon proved that the mean 

 opinion of his abilities formerly held by the sporting papers 

 was entirely wrong, and he is, at the time I am writing, 

 ready to fight any 10-stone man in the world. 



We seemed to have hardly settled to sleep before we 

 were again called at four o'clock in the morning, and had 

 to start before daylight. Tired and stiff from the jolting 

 of the coach, we arrived by noon that day at Charlestown. 

 The Belgrave Hotel in which we put up, was clean and 



