CHAMPIONS I HAVE KNOWN 257 



he would have won had the battle been fought to a finish 

 is a matter of pure speculation. Tom was very tired, his 

 right arm was giving him great pain, and it is possible that 

 Heenan might have knocked him out. On the other 

 hand, Sayers was perfectly cool, could see clearly with 

 both eyes, knew how to get safely down when necessary, 

 and was well aware that another tap or two would leave 

 Heenan as hopelessly blind as Tom himself was in his fight 

 with Langham. Sayers's admirers point to Heenan's defeat 

 by Tom King, and say that there you have proof how 

 grossly the Benicia Boy was overrated. But I do not 

 think that the King-Heenan fight throws any light on the 

 probable issue of the Sayers-Heenan had it been fought 

 to a finish. The Heenan of Wadhurst and the Heenan 

 of Farnborough were two very different men, otherwise 

 King would not have had much chance. 



Jem Mace, the last of the old prize-fighters, was my tutor 

 in the noble art five-and-forty years ago, and in his prime 

 was the most finished boxer I ever saw in the Prize Ring. 

 Indeed, among the Champions of England, of whom he 

 was the last, there was not his superior in science and ring- 

 craft. Like Tom Sayers he was good-tempered and averse 

 from quarrels, and I never heard of his abusing his fighting 

 skill by assaulting anyone, even under gross provocation. I 

 remember once travelling from Leicester with the late 

 Rector of Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Canon Denton, when Jem 

 Mace, remarkably well dressed and smart, entered our 

 carriage. It was just after the ' Varsity boat-race, and the 

 conversation turned on the training of the crews. Jem 

 delivered himself of some very sensible remarks on that 

 and kindred topics, and talked most agreeably. When 

 the Canon and I left the train at Ashby, he turned to 

 me and said : 



" Your friend is a most sensible and well-informed man. 

 May I ask who he is ? " 



" He is Jem Mace, the Champion of England," I replied. 



" What ! " he exclaimed, in astonishment. " A prize- 

 fighter ! Nonsense ! Why, he might pass for a gentleman 

 anywhere." 



" That is so," said I. " Nevertheless, he is one of what 



17 



