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On Monday last, a mill took place for
twenty-five sovereigns,
in a field in the parish of Grewell, a little village
betwixt Water-
end (an attractive spot, well known to some of the Pets of
the
Fancy) and Odiham, between a fancy Kid of Odiham, of the
name
of Thomas Stewart, and a Yokel, of the name of Harding
(better
known by the appellation of Hard'un, who, in the sequel,
proved
himself worthy of the name). The men, in point of weight,
were
nearly on par - Hard'un, however, having rather the
advantage,
and being the stronger man. The kid was superior in length
and
science. The latter was attended by a knight of the hod and
a
snob, the former by a Reading cove and a thorough-bred
Grewallion. The fight excited considerable interest, and
drew
an immense number of spectators; The Kid being a
fovorite
among the Fancy of Odiham, and Hard'un the boast of
Grewell
- betting, 5 to 2 on the kid.
THE FIGHT
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Round 1. Little time was lost in
sparring, when Hard'un made
a desperate hit at the body; but the Kid was awake, and
got
away. Hard'un made another effort, which fell short; the
kid
went in, and nob'd his opponent, right and left, in good
style, and
left the marks of his fives on Hard'un's pbiz, and at length
made
him kiss his mother earth.
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2. The Kid looked collected, while
Hard'un seeming impatient,
made another effort at the Kid's body, but found him too
leary;
the Kid nob'd him in fine style, and again sent him to the
grass.
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3. After a little ceremony, Hard'un
tried again for his favorite
hit, but it was well stopped. " 'twont do," said the Kid,
with
a smile, and peppered him again, right and left, on the left
ogle.
Hard'un fell, to avoid further punishment.
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4. The Kid came to the scratch
smiling; Hard'un tried, with
his superior strength, to break down the Kid's guard; but
the
Kid would not have it; an excellent rally followed when
Hard'un
caught the Kid by the hams* and threw him a complete back
fall,
for which he celebrated.
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5. Hard'un tried again for his
favorite hit, "caught a tartar"
from the Kid's left, and went down to avoid his right.
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6. Hard'un now made a rush, but
caught it as he was coming
in, closed, and from his superior strength, floored his
opponent,
but the Kid was decidedly the favorite.
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7. The Kid, finding he should not be
able to do much at close
fighting, owing to Hard'un's superior strength, and being in
a
fair way of closing his adversary's peepers, gave him to
understand
his intentions of so doing, and to show a little of his
activity,
caught him on the right ogle with his left, and retreated,
Hard'un
following, and receiving a severe smeller and touch on the
ear,
which sent him reeling.
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8. Hard'un's phiz now looked
"beautiful" - it exhibited the
various tints of the rainbow - while the Kid appeared as
fair as a
lily, and without a blimish. From this to the 21st round was
in
favor of the Kid - Hard'un made several attempts to gain
his
point, but they were fruitless, continually napping it on
the phiz,
till he became so metamorphosed as to be a fit subject for
the
corner of "Comicalities."
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22. This was an excellent round -
Hard'un appeared regene-
rated, and came up with the vigour of a young elephant; he
re-
solved to break down the Kid's guard, but 'twould not fit,
and
some good counter-hitting ensued, in which some severe
blows
which made him stagger: this blow was placed with such
force
were placed on each side, particularly one on Hard'un's
cannister,
as to break one of the Kid's fingers on his right hand, and
dislo-
cate his wrist. The round terminated with a close; the Kid
got
Hard'un's head in chancery, and fibbed him til both
fell,
Hard'un under.
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23. From this to the 27th round,
Hard'un went down to avoid
the punishment of the Kid's left hand, which he
occasionally
placed on his old sores.
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28. Hard'un still game, but nearly
blind, made a rush, and for
the first time caught the Kid on the nose; a rally ensued,
in
which Hard'un made his favorite hit, which was a prelude
to worse for the Kid, and made him look very serious; this
ended
in a close, and both fell, rolling one over the other.
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29. Hard'un, finding his opponent
seriously injured in the wrist
and finger, availed himself of the opportunity of making the
best
of his play, and went in to finish his work in quick time.
He
was as fresh as a rose, but not quite so handsome; and made
se-
veral desperate hits, but the Kid still kept them off, tho'
weak.
Hard'un got it on the conk, and went down.
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30. Hard'un pursued his former
system, bored in, and caught
the Kid on the side of the eye. The Kid returned the
compli-
ment with his left. In the close, the Kid was thrown,
Hard'un
falling on him.
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31 and 32. Hard'un scarcely able to
see how to place a blow, but
rushing in at a venture, met the two reelers.
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33, and last. The Kid weak, and right
hand useless, went to
the scratch, and fought rather wildly; Hard'un headstrong,
al-
though dreadfully mutilated, rushed in, caught the Kid twice
on
the ribs, with great force. Still the Kid kept his footing,
while
Hard'un caught a grounder. The Kid, feeling the severity of
the
two last blows, together with his disabled hand, now thought
it
most prudent, on time being called, to say "enough" -
although,
in point of punishment, Hard'un had the worst of it. The
Gre-
wailians bore their hero away, with the stakes, in triumph.
The
fight lasted forty-seven minutes.
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* This, according to Broughton's
Rules, was "foul," and the Kid
ought to have been taken away. - EDITOR.
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