'318 



ills face is sadly altered in shape His eyes, moreover, have begun to swell, 

 and old Joe Ward tells Flowers to make that his aim now, and in a few 

 rounds he will have his man completely blinded. Harry follows the sage 

 counsel of his mentor. But though Flowers almost invariably succeeds in 

 planting a stinger the instant he meets his foe, it is noticed as the fight goes 

 on that Keate generally lasts the longest, and despite the punishment he 

 receives, often has decidedly the best of the latter part of the round. Evi- 

 dently the Cheshire man is as game as the best black-breasted red that Lord 

 Derby ever bred at Knowsley, and is as hard as the metal in which he works. 

 But he will not hit straight, and that is where Flowers has such a pull over 

 him. Keate's roundhanded blows catch Harry on ihe back and side of the 

 head. Harry's arrowy hits go straight from the shoulder into Keite's face. 

 The blood is flowing from half a dozen deep cuts on the Northerner's visage ; 

 whilst Harry's punishment consists mainly of bruises ; bad enough some of 

 them are, no doubt, but they don't show much. All this time Flowers has 

 been steadily pegging away at his opponent's eyes, Avhich are now badly 

 swollen and discoloured. It is clear that in a few minutes more the man 

 will be blind, unless he succeeds in knocking his foe out of time. A couple 

 more taps from Harry and the shutters are pretty well up -2 to 1 on Wilt- 

 shire is the cry, and things look very fishy indeed for Keate. But an idea 

 has struck Mr. Peter Legli, of Booth Hall. He leaves his seat on the stand, 

 hurries up to the stage, and says to Bittoon, " Here, Isaac, you must lance 

 his eyelids ; take this lancet, and lose no time." Keate has no objection, he 

 is delighted, indeed, at the idea of recovering his sight, for he feels quite 

 strong ecough to win the fight yet. So the Cheshire Champion has his eyes 

 lanced, and from that moment fortune begins to smile upon him, and 

 Flowers is a bit disheartened when he sees that all his steady hitting at the 

 eyes has gone for nothing, and that his adversary can now see almost as well 

 as ever. Nevertheless he fights desperately, and one of the finest rallies in 

 the battle follows. The blows fall ?o fast and thick that it is impossible to 

 note the effects of each. Flowers hits the straighter of the two, and seems 

 to do the more damage because his hits draw more blood ; but the round 

 blows of the Cheshire man come with a thump and a thud on the side of 

 Harry's head, on the back, and around his throat with stupefying force. 

 The din and uproar among the crowd— now frightfully excited — is terrific, 

 for two minutes this slashing business goes on as hard and fast as the men 

 can hit. Flowers lashes out and sends a sledge-hammer blow into Keate's 

 mouth which knocks one of his teeth out. But William gives a counter 

 with his right on the neck, which, though less showy, does quite as much 

 harm, and then for the first time they close and grapple for the fall.' Flowers 

 tries all his wrestling tricks in vain upon the Cheshire man, who stands like 

 a tower, till the other's grasp weakens, and then Keate grasps his man 

 round the middle and flings him with such force on the boards that the whole 

 stage trembles and threatens to collapse. Flowers has had a bit the best of 

 the hitting in this rcrund, but the Cheshire gentlemen think that the bursting 

 fall has made matters even. 



Keate, despite the gap in his gums, comes up the fresher of the two, and 

 has evidently almost got his second wind, whilst the other man is still puffing 

 and blowing with his mouth open, Tiie Cestrian sees his chance and avails 

 himself of it. He hits Harry a blow on the side of the head with his left 



