326 



were police on the look out, both mounted and on foot, and all armed 

 with swords ; however, the oaly reward for their early rising these 

 poor baffled fellows received was booing and grimacing from the 

 occupants of the flying trains. Great preparations to stop the mill 

 were also made farther down on the Dover and Brighton lines. They, 

 too, were needless, for our trains, turning off at Reigate Junction to the 

 Guildford line, gave them the slip, and along it there seemed to be no 

 preparation. Xear here the engines, for the first and only time, stopped 

 to take in water. Starting immediately, and not knowing where we 

 were going to be set down, on they rattled till they reached, at nearly 

 seven o'clock, on a lovely spring morning, Farnborough Station. Here 

 all got out and, led by the only tltree men in the vjorld who up to then 

 hieiv where the fir/ht was to take i>hice, adjourned to a field close by and 

 on the borders of Hampshire and Surrey. 



On a spot which had been selected beforehand with excellent judg- 

 ment — for it was level as a billiard table — the ring was quickly staked 

 off by old Tom Oliver and his son. 



Around it immediately gathered over twelve hundred spectators to 

 see this, the great and long-talked-of fight for the Champion of 

 England's Belt and £200 a-side. Within the inner circle congregated 

 representatives of the highest classes in England. I had not the honour 

 of being acquainted with any of them, but I was told that among the 

 lot were to be found high dignitaries of the Church and State, ex Prime 

 Ministers and Cabinet Councillors, Generals and Admirals, while M.P.'s 

 and officers of both services mingled thickly with scores of those who 

 held distinguished positions in the pages of Burke and Dehrett. In 

 fact, never before that memorable morning of April 17, 1860, did 

 an assemblage nearly as numerous, much less aristocratic, stand round 

 a public prize-ring. Anticipating, as everyone did, a great fight, the most 

 sanguine could not have expected to see anything like what was in 

 store for them. 



All being in readiness and the enormous crowd disposed in tolerable 

 order, Tom Sayers appeared, and, chucking his hat before him, was the 

 first to enter the ring. He was attended as seconds by Harry Brunton 

 and Jemmy Welch. Heenan follovred immediately, with Jack 

 Macdonald and his trainer Cusick as attendants. The men had 

 never met before and, after eyeing one another curiously for a few 

 seconds, they advanced and shook hands most cordially, engaging at 

 once in friendly conversation which they continued while the umpires 

 and referee were being chosen. This manly demonstration called forth 

 from all present most tremendous cheering. 



Sayers' colours were the Koyal Standard of old England, while 

 Heenan's were the immortal Stars and Stripes. Heenan won the toss 

 for corners and took that next the sun, whereupon the colours were 

 tied to their respective stakes. 



When the men had stripped and advanced to the centre for the final 

 shake, two specimens of manhood grander developed or in more perfect 



