CHAPTERVI.NATHANIEL LANGHAM.1843–1857.“Takehim for all in all,” the subject of this chapter, as a middle-weight, was “a man” of whom might be safely said “we shall not look upon his like again.” He was of the weight so often described by the “old school” as the “unlucky 11 stone; too heavy for the light, and too light for the heavy ones.” Yet at that weight it is indisputable that the finest specimens of skill, strength, and activity have been developed, where courage and endurance have been duly combined, “to give the world assurance of a man.”Nathaniel Langham was born in May, 1820, at Hinckley in Leicestershire; his height 5 feet 10 inches, and weight, as already stated, 11 stone. Nat’s earlier years were passed as a country labourer’s are usually. In his boyish days he worked in the fields, and as soon as he was fitted, made his way into Leicester, where he was engaged by a tradesman, as he himself has told us, to “deliver goods with a horse and cart.” While in this town he attained, in the years 1841–1843, an insight into the more scientific manœuvres of the art pugilistic, for which he had a natural taste and instinctive aptitude, being much praised by Dick Cain, who often encouraged him to “put on the mittens” with rural roughs who might fancy their fistic abilities, and who gave Nat the best of tactical advice and instruction. Notwithstanding this episode of town life, it is certain that in February, 1843, Langham was again at his native village of Hinckley, for inBell’s Lifeof February 12th we find the following paragraph, recording the first Ring fight of our hero:—Nat LanghamNAT LANGHAM.From a Painting byWilliams.“A fight came off on Thursday last, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, between Nathaniel Langham, of Hinckley, and William Ellis, of Sabcote (an adjacent village), for £5 a side. The men were of pretty equal proportions,each standing a little under six feet, but, if anything, Ellis is the larger man; he is an old fighter, and was considered by his backers (though they must now be convinced to the contrary) invincible. Langham, too, has appeared in the Ring before, and distinguished himself as a man of no small talent as regards his milling capabilities. The fight took place about eleven o’clock, when both men went to work hard and fast, Langham hitting well at his man, and getting his blows home. Ellis was unable to hit his antagonist with effect, and at the expiration of the eighth round showed his sense by giving in, having his peepers most effectually darkened, his lips cut, and other very visible marks of heavy and frequent visitations from Langham’s skilfully directed ‘fives.’”Nat after this took his way to the great mart for all rising talent, the Metropolis, landing at Ben Caunt’s early in 1844. On the 7th of May in that year Langham found himself one of a pugilistic party, headed by Ben Caunt, on board of the “Nymph” steamer, outward bound in search of a convenient battle-field for the settlement of the “difference of opinion” between Joe Bostock (a former opponent of Johnny Broome) and Turner, the “Wychwood Forester.” This affair disposed of, by Bostock winning in thirty-four minutes, a purse was collected for “an afterpiece.” Thereupon Tom Lowe, a stalwart coal-whipper of some repute as conqueror in various bye-battles, and who afterwards beat Hurley at 12 stone, presented himself. Nat proposed to answer the challenger, and “Big Ben” gave his approval of the experiment. D’Orsay Turner, and Mike Driscoll seconded Langham, Jack Cullen and Ned Adams picking up Lowe. The battle was a curious, scrambling affair, according to the meagre paragraph which is afforded to it inBell’s Life. In fact, it is within our knowledge that the reporter on this occasion had left the ring and gone aboard the steamer before it was known that a second fight was arranged. In the 43rd round, when Lowe was said to have “the best of the battle” (?) we are told, “On getting up from his corner Lowe, much to the surprise of most parties, went up to his adversary, and shaking hands with him, declined fighting any more; Langham was of course proclaimed the victor, after fighting 50 minutes.” We suspect the verbal amateur reporter of this affair did not know so much about Nat Langham’s capabilities as Mr. Lowe had found out during the 50 minutes he had faced him. At any rate, Caunt was so satisfied with his “novice’s” display that he offered to back him for £25 against any man of his weight. Langham also put forth a challenge to fight Joe Bostock, the conqueror in this day’s battle, “for £25, to meetwithin six weeks of signing articles;” but Johnny Broome, who was behind Bostock, and than whom in his day there was no better judge, having availed himself of an opportunity of trying Nat with the gloves, would not have the engagement at any price, and so the affair came to nought. A clear twelvemonth now elapsed before Nat could meet with a customer, although we find him offering himself as a candidate for pugilistic honours at 11 stone, and give 7lb., for £25; money ready at “The Lion,” at Hinckley, or the “Coach and Horses,”St.Martin’s Lane.In the month of June, 1845, Langham being then under the wing of Ben Caunt, an outsider presented himself at the Champion’s hostelrie, and in the course of conversation announced himself as “Doctor” Campbell; he was soon recognised as the successful opponent of Ben Hart, in a punishing fight of seventy-one rounds, which took place on the 3rd of November, 1842, in the Kentish marshes. A bout with the gloves with “brother Bob” (certainly no great “trial-horse”) was followed by the “Doctor,” who weighed close on 12 stone, declaring himself to be “in want of a job,” whereon Nat suggested to his patron Ben that he thought he could accommodate the “Doctor” by giving him a few pounds’ weight and a beating. Ben, who was ever close-fisted, offered to put down a “fiver” for Nat; and, as the “Doctor’s” friends were not flush of money, that modest sum remained without increase until the 12th of June, when Big Ben, as M.C., taking advantage of the hiring of a steamer for a more important “excursion,” shipped his man Nat, and conveyed him to the battle-field at Rainham Ferry, at which place “Doctor” Campbell and friends were in waiting. No contemporary report of the rounds is extant, but we know from eye-witnesses that Nat, though with small preparation, in the short space of thirty-five minutes so used his left “pickaxe”—as it was afterwards expressively termed by no less a master of arts than Tom Sayers himself—that the “Doctor” was completely “physicked.” In the 27th round he “retired from professional practice,” entirely disabled, and declined further contest, and never again showed within the ropes of theP.R.Dan Hagerty, who had beaten Bill Amos, Jack Johnston, and subsequently the hard-hitting Aby Durell, was challenged by Nat for £25 a side; but Dan’s backers, after some conference, thought it best to leave the Leicester man alone, and a sov. down was forfeited.Nat now retired into country quarters, and we next hear of him as matched with a boxer of great local renown, hight George Gutteridge, of Bourne, in Lincolnshire. Gutteridge, who was born in 1823, stood5 feet 9 inches, and weighed 11 stone 7 lbs., began his rising career in April, 1845, by beating, in 23 sharp rounds, George Graham (known as the “Potter”); this he followed in June, 1846, by defeating Macdonald, of Derby (the conqueror of Jem Bailey and several others), in a slashing fight of thirty-five minutes, in which 31 rattling rounds were contested. About this time we saw Gutteridge in London, at Caunt’s, and a more likely young fellow for wear and tear, his pluck being undoubted, we have seldom seen. His skill as a fighter, like all rural champions, was, of course, ridiculously overrated; and when Ben pointed him out to us as “that’s the chap that’s matched against Langham, what do you think of him?” there was a sort of hesitancy in the Champion’s tone, that expressed anxious doubt for the safety of the “quarter of a hundred,” besides “training ex’s,” which he had invested on the “wager of battle.” Caunt having received £7 from Gutteridge’s friends, for the right of naming the place of meeting, Mr. Banton’s, New Inn, at Bourne, South Lincolnshire, was named as the rendezvous, and thither on the overnight of the battle, Tuesday, June 9th, 1846, Caunt, with Langham and friends, repaired. At 8 a.m. the men went to scale, Langham drawing 11 stone, Gutteridge 11 stone 8 lbs. Langham looked thin but hard, as if somewhat overtrained. Gutteridge showed wonderfully strong, though a trifle fleshy. An excellent ring was formed at South Farm Pastures, about three miles from Bourne, and around it was grouped a large attendance of the gentry, yeomen, farmers, and labourers, with a sprinkling of sporting men from Leicestershire and the Midlands. The order, good-temper, and we might say decorum of the assembly, and the conduct of the spectators throughout the fight, were an example to such gatherings which we despair in these days to see imitated, either down rail or river. Langham had for his seconds Dan Bufton and John Gill; Gutteridge was excited on by Homer Howden and his former antagonist “Potter George” (Graham). The colours, a canary yellow for Langham, and a blue and white spot for Gutteridge, being tied to the stakes, the men shook hands cheerfully, and the battle began, the current odds being 6 and 7 to 4 on Gutteridge.THE FIGHT.Round 1.—The attitude of Nat was by far the more artistic, though that of the Lincolnshire man was by no means awkward or constrained; yet he held his arms too close and across to deliver at a well-judged distance; accordingly, after a little sparring just to feel his way, Nat popped in a couple of such sharp facers, jumping back from the return, that the question of “first blood” was settled almost in the first hit, the crimson fluid trickling from Gutteridge’s left optic. The Lincoln man, who was evidently no flincher, went in ding-dong, Langham retreating perforcefrom his determined rush, but delivering two or three cutting left-handers on his assailant’s frontispiece before he went down at the ropes on the saving suit.2.—Nat came up cool as a cucumber, with no visible marks of hitting save a red bump on his left cheek-bone, and a slight flush of colour which rather improved his complexion. Gutteridge, on the contrary, had a gaping cut over the right eye, a prominent blue mouse under the left optic, and his teeth were tinged from his cut lip. He rattled in undismayed, but got little by the motion, the balance of the exchanges being all in favour of Leicester. In a close, however, he gripped Master Nat, and embracing him, showed his superior strength by forcing him down and falling on him heavily. (Cheering for Gutteridge.)3.—Nat dodging in, and then retreating, to get his man to follow. Gutteridge, by advice of his seconds, refusing to do so, Nat woke him up by twice visiting his left eye clean over his guard, whereupon Gutteridge, stung by these long shots, rushed to close quarters, and after taking a prop or two fought Nat down in his own corner. (The Lincoln man’s friends in high glee.)4 to 10.—Langham seemed steady and cool, and none the worse for Mr. Gutteridge’s lunges, and the rapid rallies which followed at close quarters. Not so Gutteridge, whose portrait was gradually painted in crimson by a master-hand. Though there was active fighting on both sides, there was a somewhat tedious similarity in the rounds, Langham improving his lead in every bout, and Gutteridge failing in most cases, in clenching his adversary for the throw.From the 11th to the 50th round Gutteridge showed himself dangerous, and with unflinching game every now and then raised the hopes of his partisans by remaining on his legs after severe exchanges of blows, then walking to his corner to seat himself on his second’s knee, while Nat, husbanding his strength, was tenderly carried, often sedan fashion, by his careful attendants to his appointed resting-place.In the 51st round, to the surprise of all, Langham seemed to recover second wind; perceiving the shaky state of his brave opponent, he assumed the offensive, and delivered half a dozen hits left and right at arm’s length, the last of which sent down Gutteridge in his corner all of a heap; the first fair knock down. From this point the rounds became short, poor Gutteridge gradually losing almost every glimpse of daylight, coming up round after round until the 93rd, when, perceiving the last chance of his man had vanished, Hodgkiss threw up the sponge in Gutteridge’s corner in token of defeat, and Nat was hailed the victor of the day, after a severe contest ofone hour and twenty-five minutesof active and actual fighting; Langham’s superiority as a boxer being evident from first to last.At the giving up of the stakes at Caunt’s on the following Thursday, Angelo, of Windsor, was backed against Langham for £50 a side, but the match went off, Gutteridge’s backer posting a small deposit for a second encounter, which was covered on the part of Langham, who afterwards received forfeit, the Lincolnshire friends of the former considering the first judgment of the referee not likely to be reversed on a new trial.William Sparkes, a hardy Australian, having fought his way to fame at the Antipodes, and made the voyage to the Old Country, in further search of “the bubble reputation,” was introduced in the early part of 1847 to the London Ring, under the patronage of Johnny Broome, and that ’cute observer at once commended him to his Corinthian visitors, as “just the sort of man to polish off Master Nat,” who, in the estimate of Johnny, “was dangerously clever, but had no constitution.” Sparkes, at this time, was certainly a fine, hardy specimen of a “corn-stalk” as could be seen in a summer’s day. Twenty-six years of age, firmly put together, round-limbed, muscular, and active, and not only bringing with him a belt as a pugilist, but also a trophy won by his fleetness of foot as a pedestrian “champion,” he was certainly a “representative man,” so far as Australianprowess was in question. With him, then, Langham was matched, as champion of the honour of the Old Country, for £50 a side, and Tuesday, May 4th, 1847, was fixed for the final settlement of the question.On that day, at an early hour, the “Nymph” being chartered for the voyage, the party embarked from the now-abolished Hungerford Market Pier, and thence dropped down to Blackwall, where, on the Brunswick Pier, a goodly muster of the Fancy had assembled, and where, also, a coal-tug or two, laden with “Cheapside” customers, were in waiting to follow in the wake of the Fancy “flag-ship.” From some petty jealousy, into the cause of which we do not care to inquire, Tom Spring, Peter Crawley, and a group of Corinthians here shipped themselves on board the regular Gravesend passenger-boat, instead of taking tickets by the chartered “Fancy” craft. Johnny Broome, who was in command, suppressed any mortification he might have felt, but did not the less determine to balance accounts with the Separatists, as the sequel will show. The “Nymph” cast off from the Blackwall Pier, and led the way towards Charlton, where Langham was taken on board, having been trained by Robinson (“Caunt’s Pet”), near Dartford; the Australian had already been shipped at Hungerford. While we lay-to off Charlton Pier, the Gravesend boat, with the two crowded tugs in attendance, pursued their downward course. Soon after, as the “Nymph,” at half-speed, was nearing Erith, Johnny Broome called “a council of war,” wherein he announced his resolution to disappoint those who had shown such a want of that unanimity which we had so often publicly advocated on these occasions. He proposed that we should “about ship,” and make a return voyage, leaving the “secessionists,” including the “tuggites” and the Gravesend passengers, to the enjoyment of their excursion, without the prospect of seeing the day’s mill, from the appointed and legitimate mode of being present at which they had thus wilfully disentitled themselves. His arguments were unanswerable. The bow of the “Nymph” was quickly put up stream, the tide was flowing, and back we went; indeed, almost before the downward voyagers were aware of our change of course, we were steaming through the Pool, and thence pursued our way, never stopping until Nine Elms Pier was reached. There the men and their friends disembarked, and, availing themselves of a train by the South Western Railway, proceeded to Woking Common. On arriving, the Commissary and assistants quickly prepared a ring, on the ground where Barnash and Martin fought a fortnight previous; and in half an hour, the party having refreshed themselves meantime at a neighbouringhostelrie, a select party of about one hundred spectators surrounded the roped enclosure, heartily laughing at “the sell” practised upon the “Secesh,” who had cut themselves off by their own want ofesprit du corpsfrom witnessing the fight. Among the disappointed were some “knowing ones,” who, in those days of “pigeon expresses,” had carried down their feathered messengers, with the view of conveying to their London confederates the first news of the battle and its result.At half-past two o’clock the combatants entered the lists; Langham esquired by D’Orsay Turner and Barnash, Sparkes seconded by Sam Simmonds (of Birmingham) and Joe Rowe. The “sestette” shook hands in a friendly manner, and the men proceeded to their toilettes, while umpires and a referee were chosen. All preliminaries being adjusted, and the colours (white with a scarlet border for Sparkes, and a blue birdseye for Langham) knotted to the stake, the men toed the scratch forTHE FIGHT.Round 1.—On throwing themselves into position, the advantage on the part of Langham as to height and length was obvious to all, while the brawny frame of the Australian showed him to be the more powerful of the two. He stood with his left arm straight out from the shoulder, with his right hand well up, his body being inclined backwards in an extraordinary manner. Langham threw his arms about quickly, as if to put the Australian off his guard, but in vain. At length Langham led off with his right, which was twice cleverly stopped. Sparkes made play, catching Langham slightly on the side of the jaw with his left. Langham again tried his left, but was again stopped. In another attempt he was more successful, and caught the Australian on the nose slightly. Sparkes closed, delivered two good body blows, and both were down. (The opinion round the ring was that the Australian was far from being the “novice” that he was anticipated to be.)2.—Langham led off at the nose with his left, and got on smartly. Sparkes returned heavily with his right on the body and side of the head with his left, knocking Langham off his legs. (First knock-down for Sparkes, amidst some astonishment.)3.—Langham immediately led off, getting slightly home on the body. Sparkes dashed in, hit up on the forehead, then fibbed his man in the ribs with the right, and Langham got down.4.—Langham made play and worked in at his man, who got cleverly away. Sparkes then went to him, delivered his favourite body blow, Langham staggered back against the ropes, and got down.5.—No hesitation on either side; Sparkes stopped two well-intended compliments from his adversary’s left. Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes getting it on the nose twice, but without impression. Langham slipped down.6.—Sparkes tried his left and right, but was short in both attempts. Langham jobbed him in the left cheek heavily, and got down in the half-arm hitting, evidently not anxious to test the strength of his adversary in a close.7.—Langham led off with his left, but Sparkes met him with a heavy hit on the body, and Langham went down.8.—Langham again tried to lead off, but the Australian was as quick as himself, countered him in the forehead, Langham getting in sharply, at a well-judged distance, on his adversary’s nose, from which he displaced the bark, and drewfirst blood. Sparkes delivered his right heavily on the ribs, knocking Langham down for the second time.9.—Langham first to fight, catching Sparkes on the side of his nose, Sparkes returning heavily on the chest and ribs with both hands, and Langham down.10.—The men rushed together, and after a slight exchange of hits, Langham slipped down.11.—Langham commenced by delivering his left heavily on Sparkes’s left eye. Sparkes caught him on the forehead with his left, on the body with his right, and Langham got down.12.—Langham delivered on the left cheek, received a slight body blow, and got down. Sparkes by far the stronger man.13.—Good body blows were exchanged. Langham then planted upon his adversary’s nose with his left; Sparkes let fly at the body, and Langham was again down.14 and 15.—Sparkes forced the fighting, but Langham jobbed him heavily as he came in. Sparkes delivered very slightly on the ribs, and Langham got down leary. [The fighting was extremely quick, no round having lasted half a minute. Fourteen minutes had now elapsed.]16.—Langham got well in on the side of the head with his left twice as Sparkes tried to bore in. Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes napping it on the nose, and Langham on the body. The latter then slipped down.17.—Good counter-hits and a sharp rally; a close, in which Langham fibbed his man in the head, and after a short struggle both were down, Sparkes this time under.18.—Sparkes led off, getting in one on the ribs with his right, and his left on the forehead, but too short to be effective. Langham seemed to have got the measure of his man; he jobbed him heavily in the left eye and on the cheek, and got down.19 to 21.—Similar to the last. Rapid fighting, Sparkes occasionally putting in a body blow, Langham jobbing him severely in the head, and getting down in the close.22.—Langham led off with his left, catching the Australian heavily on the side of his head; Sparkes returned on the nose, but not heavily. Langham then planted his left severely on Sparkes’s right cheek, drawing the claret. Sparkes closed, threw his man, and fell over him.23.—Langham tried to open with sparring on the defensive, but Sparkes forced the fighting. Heavy exchanges left and right, those of Langham drawing more blood from Sparkes’s cheek and eye, Sparkes still fighting at the body. Langham eventually got down.24 to 32.—Langham took the lead in these rounds, Sparkes hitting with less precision; Nat repeatedly jobbed his man heavily in the face, but Sparkes was thorough game, and would not be denied; he occasionally put in a body blow which sounded all over the ring; Sparkes’s left eye was fast closing, and his right cheek showed marks of punishment. In the 32nd round, in a rally, Langham caught the Australian a severe blow with his right on the left ear, from which the blood was quickly seen to flow. Langham showed no marks beyond a slight swelling on his forehead, and a redness about his ribs. So quick was the fighting that only 32 minutes had been occupied up to the close of this round.33.—Sparkes changed his style a little and hit higher, declining to be drawn on. He sent his right well home on Langham’s jaw; Langham returned with his left on the left eye-brow, which he cut. Sparkes then got in his right on Langham’s left eye, on which he raised a slight mouse. Langham got down in an attempt by Sparkes to close.34 and 35.—Langham met his man as he came in with well-directed jobs, the Australian still fighting at the body. In the latter round he closed, and threw Langham, falling on him.36.—Counter-hits; Langham catching his adversary heavily on the left ear, again drawing blood. Sparkes rushed in, delivered his favourite body blow, and again knocked Nat clean off his legs.37.—Langham came up slow, the last hit had evidently shaken him. Sparkes rushed at him to follow up his advantage, but Langham stopped him right and left, got away, and ultimately slipped down.38.—Langham, still keeping away, propped the Australian as he came in, and got down.39.—Langham had not yet recovered himself from the visitation in the 36th round, but Sparkes could not get the lead, as his man not only stopped cleverly, but got away immediately he went to him, and eventually slipped down.From this to the 58th round the same style of fighting was continued; the men commenced work immediately on arriving at the scratch. Sparkes’s body blows came in occasionally with great force, but some were stopped by Langham very prettily, and the latter recovering his strength, he jobbed his man severely in the head. Sparkes’s right eye was following suit with his left, which was quite closed, and blood was drawn every round from his ear or cheek. The rounds were almost invariably finished by Langham going down to avoid the struggle and throw. In the 50th round, after a few rattling exchanges, Sparkes, for the fourth time, sent his man to grass, with a heavy right-handed hit in the ribs.59 to 61.—Langham propped his man heavily as he attempted to come in. Sparkes, however, fought with unflinching courage, and would not retreat, and often bored Nat down.62.—Langham got home on Sparkes’s neck, Sparkes returned on the ribs. A close followed, in which Langham was down, with Sparkes on him. Sparkes unfortunately had his right arm under his man, who fell heavily on it, and, as it afterwards appeared, broke the bone of his forearm. On coming up for the 63rd round, Sparkes held his right arm up, but was quickly compelled to drop it, from the pain he suffered. Langham went in and milled away until the Australian went down. From this to the 67th and last round Sparkes came up bravely, keeping his right arm close to his side, and attempted to plant upon his man with his left; it was of course in vain. Langham was too good a strategist to be planted on, and working in with both hands upon the game fellow in each round, punishing him until he went down. He was repeatedly asked by his seconds to give in, but in vain; his game was such that he almost disdained to sit on his second’s knee until the call of time. At length, in the 67th round, Johnny Broome entered the ring and threw up his hat intoken of defeat, after a contest of 68 minutes, and even then it was with the greatest difficulty that Sparkes’s seconds could prevent his rising and rushing at his man to have another “shy.” A gamer or more fearless boxer never entered the Ring.Remarks.—Langham in this contest confirmed the opinion we entertained of his former fight with Gutteridge. He is a clever, scientific fighter, good on his legs, and a heavy hitter; and although the practice of getting down is anything but commendable, still, with a determined adversary, possessing superior bodily powers, every allowance must be made for the caution of a wily general. He evidently saw that to struggle with such a man as Sparkes would be attended with no advantage to himself, and he therefore determined not to throw a chance away. His superior length, and his quickness in meeting the Australian hero as he came in, in a great measure protected his mug from damage; but the fact of his leaving the ring with scarcely a scratch was mainly to be attributed to the style of Sparkes, who, when he fought at the head, invariably hit too high to do damage. Sparkes proved himself one of the gamest fellows that ever pulled off a shirt; he is a hard hitter, and stops with great neatness; but in Langham he contended with an adversary who had the advantage of him in every respect except in strength and courage (the latter attribute was not, however, wanting in either man). Notwithstanding the severe punishment he received about the head, however, he came up as strong on his legs at the end as at the commencement of the fight, and in almost every round declined all assistance of his seconds to carry him to his corner. Had it not been for the accident to his arm in the 65th round, the contest would, no doubt, have lasted longer, possibly with a different result. As to style, however, Langham was the superior fighter. The affair concluded, all returned to town per train, and “The Nymph,” in attendance at Nine Elms, conveyed her cargo to the port whence they embarked. The battle money was given to Langham at Ben Caunt’s. This is the first time that Sparkes was beaten, having fought in and out of the ring in N.S.W. with several men. His last four adversaries were Chas. Wooten, of Nottingham (N.S.W.), for £25 a side; Joe Marshall, of the same place, for £50 a side; Bill Davis, of Liverpool (N.S.W.), for £100 a side (after the conquest of whom he received his belt); and “Tom the brewer,” for £100 a side.The stakes were presented to Langham at Ben Caunt’s, when a collection was made for the losing man. This was considerably augmented on the Friday week following at a benefit given to Sparkes at Johnny Broome’s. Of course the “tuggites,” and some of those thrown out by Johnny’s strategic movement on the previous Tuesday, were loud in their denunciations of his “shameful conduct,” as it was termed. At these Johnny laughed, while the sporting Press reminded them that “they had only themselves to blame for their disappointment.”Nat’s victory over Sparkes was certainly calculated to place him in the very front rank of middle-weight boxers, and from this time until the beginning of the year ’51 he was “laid up in lavender,” until after all sorts of negotiations, and breaks-off with all sorts of men, some too heavy, and others thinking themselves too light, unless Nat (who had never much to get off in the way of flesh) could consent to reduce himself, Harry Orme, though more than half a stone heavier, was proposed. Orme’s defeat of Aaron Jones, in December, 1849, had proved him a strong, resolute, and formidable, if not a scientific boxer, and his friends, thinking his chance a good one, entered into articles for £50 a side, the battle to be decided on the 6th of May, 1851. On this occasion Nat was doomed to experience his first and only defeat, after a contest whichBell’s Lifecharacterises as “one of the gamest battles theannals of the Ring can boast;” the details of which will be found in the ensuing chapter in the Life ofHarry Orme.Langham, who was always a well-conducted, steady fellow, now went into business as a publican at the Ram Inn, Bridge Street, Cambridge, where he won “golden opinions from all sorts of men,” securing the patronage of many University undergrads, and for two years none cared to dispute his title as “Champion of the Middle-weights,” a distinction a quarter of a century ago fully recognised at a period when the heavy weights had certainly sadly degenerated, though the time had yet to come in which “the Championship of England” should be held by a boxer under 11 stone!So highly were Langham’s capabilities in his contest with Orme esteemed by all who witnessed that gallant fight, that his name was continually to the fore, not only in Cambridge, but among the Corinthians who held their conversaziones at Jem Burn’s, at the “Rising Sun;” at Owen Swift’s “Horseshoe;” at Limmer’s Hotel, and “The Corner;” while among the knowing ones who frequented Ben Caunt’s “Coach and Horses,” at Peter Crawley’s “Duke’s Head,” and places further east, all were of opinion that “Clever Nat” was not to be beaten by any man who had not a great pull in respect of weight.There was, however, a sporting-house, unnamed by us as yet, situated in a street off the once-famed Seven Dials, where lived an ex-pugilist (recently deceased) who was unquestionably as good a judge of the merits of a fighting man as ever lived. This was Alec Keene, of the “Three Tuns,” Moor Street, Soho; and there were not a few Corinthians who often threaded their way through the intricacies of Soho to have a palaver with Alec Keene, and learn his straight opinion as to the chances of the competitors in some coming fight, or as to the advisability of backing this or the other candidate for a match. Among these we remember “young” Sir Robert Peel, his gallant brother William (both of them splendid boxers), Lord Ongley, Lord Drumlanrig, Sir Edward Kent, Colonel Higgins, Lord Winchilsea,cum multis aliis.Now, among the special pets of Alec foremost stood Tom Sayers, whose merits Keene was the first among the professionals to fully perceive and boldly declare; and he never ceased to use his influence in finding him backers, in which he was zealously seconded by Harry Brunton.[24]After Tom had beaten Jack Martin, in the January of 1853, both he and his friend Alec (who acted as his second on that occasion) were confident that the championship of the middle-weights was well within his reach, notwithstanding the admitted excellence of Nat Langham. Consequently, after many discussions and conferences, the money was made all right, and a challenge was issued from Moor Street, in which Tom announced his readiness to meet the redoubtable Nat on his own terms. There was some laughing in Air Street at Tom’s audacity, and inSt.Martin’s Lane, although in the city on the Cam lots of “collegians” were ready to find a bit of Nat’s money. It was soon ascertained, however, when Langham had accepted the challenge, and a match had been made to fight for the sum named, on the 18th of October, 1853, that although Langham was the favourite, his adherents had only to offer the slightest shade of odds in Tichborne Street or Soho to be at once accommodated to any amount they desired.Both men went into active training at an early period. Nat, whose long rest had rendered him somewhat rusty, retired to country quarters, under the care of Jemmy Welsh, who had to give him a full dose of work to bring him, without any loss of power, within the stipulated 11st., though at this period Nat’s fighting weight was only two or three pounds in excess of that point. However, his training went smoothly on, without a break or a hitch of any kind, and, as will be seen presently, he was brought to the post in prime fettle. Tom, on the other hand, who had, as usual, gone down to the neighbourhood of Brighton—his mentor and attendant being the celebrated pedestrian, Bob Fuller—encountered quite a series of mischances. He first caught a severe cold, almost deserving to be called an influenza, which stopped him in his work. This was followed by an ugly breaking out on his face and chin, which certainly did not indicate that his blood was in its ordinary healthful condition. No difficulties of this kind dismayed either Tom or his backers, and, consequently,Bell’s Lifeon the 16th of October was enabled to announce that both men were well and full of confidence. In consequence of the day fixed for the fight being the opening day of the Warwick Meeting, there had been an endeavour to alter the day to the Monday previous, but as this was the settling-day for the Cesarewitch, the alteration would have been no improvement, if, indeed, not rather the reverse, as backers and bookmakers would both be compelled to show at Tattersall’s—the lucky backer of Haco to receive, and the unfortunate followers of the ill-fated Nabob (who was second thatyear in both the great handicaps to the turned loose youngsters, Haco and Little David) to part with what had so nearly brought them safe home.On another account it was fortunate that the fixture remained unchanged, for on Monday the rain came down in an almost ceaseless downpour from morning till night, and the Corinthians and professionals who assembled at Caunt’s and Alec Keene’s in the evening, to obtain their tickets for the excursion, and the straight tip as to the time and place of departure, prognosticated somewhat gloomily as to the weather possibilities of the morrow.Fortunately, these prophecies were falsified by the event, and shortly before eight o’clock, as hansom after hansom dashed up to the Eastern Counties Railway Station, in Shoreditch—the directors had not yet become sufficiently aristocratic to call it the Great Eastern Station, Bishopsgate, nor had they attained their grand terminus at Liverpool Street—their occupants shook hands heartily with the first acquaintance they encountered, and congratulated themselves on the bright October sun, which was making even the dingy East End look moderately cheerful. At half-past eight the train started, and after a pleasant journey of about three hours, past Cambridge, Ely, and Mildenhall, pulled up at Lakenheath, in Suffolk, and the living cargo, which numbered not less than four hundred, among whom were most of the Corinthian supporters of the Ring, who had come down under the special care of Jem Burn, invaded and overran the little station.For the benefit of those who slumbered too long to refresh the inner man satisfactorily before leaving, a copious breakfast had been provided by Mr. Moore, of the “Old Rum Puncheon,” Moorfields, who, we are happy to say, still survives in this year of grace, 1881, the hale and hearty host of the “Royal Standard” at Walthamstow. Ample justice being done to this repast, we found that Tom Oliver, assisted by Tom Callas, had decided on the spot for the ring, in a field about two hundred yards from the stopping-place. While the stakes and ropes were being placedin situ, Dan Dismore attended to the sale of inner ring tickets; and the character of the gathering may be inferred from the fact that about one in five of the travellers elected to become purchasers of “privilege” cards. The men having made their toilets, Sayers, just at half-past twelve, shied his castor into the ring, following it himself, with his seconds, Alec Keene and Bob Fuller. Tom received a loud and hearty greeting from his partisans; and this had hardlydied away when the cheers were renewed as Nat Langham entered, attended by the accomplished Jemmy Welsh and Jerry Noon, who was equally clever as a second when—as upon this occasion he did—he could refrain from those eccentric performances for which he was notorious, and which, however amusing they might be to the spectators, were anything but useful to his principal. On this particular day Jerry was on his good behaviour, and did not once attempt to raise a laugh until the fight was over. Immediately on entering the ring Tom and Nat, who were “old pals,” shook hands with great cordiality, evoking the cheers of the onlookers, who were delighted at this proof that the combatants were actuated only by the desire to win fame and reputation, and, in fact, realised the description of the prizefighter by the poet:—Who are sworn friends to one another,And first shake hands before they box;Then give each other plaguy knocks,With all the love and kindness of a brother.This episode completed, the referee and umpires having taken their places, the seconds retired to their corners, and all was attention as the men approached each other and beganTHE FIGHT.Round 1.—On toeing the scratch the knowing ones eagerly scanned the appearance and condition of the men, in order, if possible, to gain thus some indication of the possible issue of the combat, and a few bets were made at 6 to 4 on Langham. There was a wide contrast between the men, both in appearance and condition; Langham was long and lathy; his frame was evidently that of a man who had seen severe work, and—to all appearance—not likely to last through the wear and tear of long-continued exertion. There was a smile of good-humoured confidence on his mug, however, that showed how little he feared the result of the coming combat, while his condition was simply perfect, and reflected the highest credit on his trainer. Sayers, on the other hand, although he looked—as of old—broad, strong, and burly, was clearly overburdened with flesh—the 5lb.he scaled above his accustomed 10st.7lb.being palpably all to the bad. The breaking out on his chin and face, already alluded to, certainly did not give one the idea of his being in a perfect state of health, and it may well be that to the fact of his not being in his best form may be attributed an anxious look about his eyes, so different to the gay, laughing confidence he exhibited in his other fights. Both men, on taking up position, stood with their legs too wide apart; their guards were neither easy nor graceful, nor was there anything strikingly artistic in their attitudes. They began with a good deal of sparring, and, at length, Langham let go his left, but did not get quite home. Caution was again the order of the day, until Langham once more got within distance, and tried his left a second time, just reaching Tom’s chest. Sayers now tried to draw his man, but Langham was not to be had. Sayers, therefore, approached him, when Langham popped in his left on the cheek, and then the same hand on the nose, and got away. Sayers soon followed him up, and Nat, as he retreated, again sent out his left on the cheek. More sparring now took place, and, at length, counter-hits were exchanged, Nat catching Tom on the chin and drawingfirst bloodfrom a pimple below his mouth. Sayers now bored in, and caught Nat a nasty one on the forehead, from the effects of which Langham went to grass. (First knock-down blowfor Sayers.) Little merit, however, could be attached to it, as the ground was in such a state from the previous day’s rain as to render it difficult for Nat to keep his legs, and the hit rather helped him to grass than fairly sent him there. Having now had an opportunity of judging and comparing the men, the betting settled downto 5 to 4 on Nat, the odds being principally due to Tom’s obviously bad condition, and to the fact that, having lost the toss for choice of corners, he had to fight with the sun in his eyes.2.—In this round Nat commenced the saving game, which he persisted in throughout the fight, and after planting a tap on the mouth, and receiving on the forehead, slipped down.3.—Both men ready to the call of time, and Langham led off, but the blow fell short on Tom’s chest. A second attempt was more successful, as he got home a heavy spank on Tom’s snout, from which the ruby was instantly visible. Left-handed counter-hits followed, each getting it slightly on the cheek, and Nat, in getting back again slipped down.4.—On getting within distance both went to work. Tom made his left on Nat’s cheek, and his right rather heavily on his ribs. Heavy counter-hits followed, in favour of Nat, whose length here gave him the advantage. Tom napped it again severely on the smeller, just between the eyes, and returned on Nat’s side of his head and his short ribs, the latter a sounding right-hander. Langham now retreated, and, as Tom followed him up, pinked him twice in succession with effect on the nozzle, drawing more claret. Sayers returned slightly on the ribs, and again was met by Nat on the mouth and left eye. Sayers continued to persevere, occasionally getting in a little one on Nat’s ribs, but Nat in this round appeared to have it his own way; he propped his man repeatedly on the nose and mouth, and then on the dexter eye. Again and again did Sayers go to it, but Nat jobbed him with it severely on the old spot, and at length finished the round by going down, Sayers walking away, his face brightly crimsoned by Nat’s handiwork.5.—Nat, on getting his man, let go with his left with great quickness on Tom’s nose, completely over his guard. Sayers then went to in-fighting, and got home his left on the side of Nat’s knowledge-box, and, after a slight rally, both went down. A claim of foul was made, that Sayers had hit Nat while down, but it was not allowed, the men being on the ropes when the blow was delivered.6.—Tom came up grinning, but his mug was in anything but grinning order. Langham, as usual, led off, but Tom jumped away. Tom now feinted, let go his left on Nat’s jaw, and then repeated the dose without return. Some rattling exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, and in the end Langham fell.7.—Langham attempted to plant his left, but was out of distance. Two more efforts were frustrated by Tom jumping away. Nat was not to be denied; he went in, and some rattling exchanges took place in favour of Sayers, who got home on Nat’s cheek and ribs with severity, and received one or two on the kissing organ, from which more pink was drawn, and Langham in getting back fell.8.—Langham dodged his man, and again popped in his left with great quickness over his guard, turning on the tap. Sayers returned slightly on the cheek, and, on trying to improve upon this, was countered heavily on the mouth. This led to some rapid exchanges in favour of Sayers, who got home heavily on the ribs and jaw, and received on the nasal promontory. The round finished by Langham going to earth apparently weak.9.—Sayers came up with a visible puffiness under both eyes. Langham, as usual, led off on Tom’s mouth. Sayers returned left and right on the canister and ribs, received another little one on the nose, and then lunged out with his right a sounding spank in the side. Langham retreated, and was followed up by Tom, who caught him on the mouth with his left, and Nat, after an ineffectual attempt to return, fell.10.—Langham stepped back to draw his man, who came for it, and again napped an awkward one on the snout. Sayers tried a return, but was short, and got another smack on the nose for his pains. Counter-hits followed, Nat getting it rather heavily on the left eye, and Tom on the nose. Nat, after placing a little one on the nose, fell on his south pole.11.—Langham opened the pleadings by another well-delivered spank on the proboscis, from his left, over Tom’s guard. It was wonderful to see how completely Sayers’s index seemed to be within reach of Nat’s straight-darting deliveries. Left-handed exchanges followed, but Sayers appeared to hit short. Langham delivered again with severity on the bridge of the nose, when Sayers made a one, two (the left on the side of the head, and his right on the ribs), and Langham got down on the saving suit.12.—A pause now took place, and some mutual feinting and dodging, it being “bellows to mend” on each side. Nat at length tried his left, which was prettily stopped. Sayers now went in, made his left and right on the nose and ribs, but not heavily. Langham retaliated on the nose, which led to some slight exchanges, and a close, at the end of which both fell, Langham under.13.—Sayers attempted to take the lead, but was propped heavily on the snuff-box. He, however, got in his right with severity on the ribs, and then his left on Nat’s cheek. Nat’s returns were rendered abortive by the activity of Tom, who again visited his ribs heavily with his right, and Langham fell, Tom falling over him.14.—Langham resumed his lead, and got well on to Tom’s damaged nose and mouth. Sayers’s nose and cheeks puffing visibly, to the great danger of his clear sight for attack or defence. Tom countered him heavily oncheek and ribs, and Langham fell, Tom on him.15.—Sayers went to his man, planted his left on the side of Nat’s brain-pan. Langham returned on the neck with his right, a round hit, and fell in getting away.16.—Nat sent in his left, over Tom’s guard, upon his nose heavily, and again turned on the main. Good counters followed, Nat on the nose, and Tom on the neck heavily. Exchanges, in which Tom got on to Nat’s left cheek, and Langham got down, Sayers falling over him.17.—Langham was short in two attempts with his left, and a third was stopped, when Sayers dashed out his left, getting home on the ribs. Langham returned with good effect on the nose, and both fell.18.—Long sparring until Nat let fly his left on the old spot. Tom made his right on the ribs, but again got a nasty crack on the side of his cranium, and Langham got down.19.—Nat was again short in his lead. Tom was more successful, got home his right on the ribs, and Nat was again down.20.—This was a good round on both sides. After a little sparring Langham tried his left, but Tom jumped well away. In a second attempt Nat got slightly home on the chest, and then on the nose. Sayers countered him on the mouth, and then some exchanges took place, in which Nat hit the straightest, Tom’s blows appearing to be open-handed. Sayers now went in, but got it heavily on the nose from Nat, who fought on the retreat. Tom followed him up, got well home on the jaw, and then on the nose and left eye, knocking Langham clean off his legs. (A fair knock-down blow.)21.—Tho last blow delivered by Sayers was evidently a stinger, as Nat’s left peeper and nose showed the effects of it. Tom immediately led off, got in his left and right on the nose and ribs without a return, and then, closing, threw Langham a back-fall, and fell heavily on him. (5 to 4 offered by an enthusiastic backer of Tom’s.)22.—Hitting over Tom’s guard Nat got well on Tom’s nose, but Sayers returning heavily on the mouth, Nat got back, and fell.23.—Odds of 5 to 4 on Sayers were now freely offered all round the ring, and he certainly seemed to have much the best of it, was full of confidence, and at once opened proceedings by sending in his left heavily on Nat’s ivory-box. The latter tried to get away, but Tom followed him up closely and again landed on the mouth, avoiding the return. Severe counter-hitting followed, in which Sayers again got on to Nat’s mouth, but received on the smeller, and then Langham went to the earth in a decided state of weakness.24.—Sayers, attempting to force the fighting all he could, again led off on Nat’s left cheek, and Nat retaliated on the nose heavily. Tom retreated, and, on going to it again, popped in his right on Nat’s commissariat department. He tried a repetition of this, but napped it severely on the nose for his pains. After some sparring Tom reached Nat’s ribs, and the latter, reaching his own corner, got down.25.—Sayers, first to begin, delivered a little one on Nat’s nose, but the blow wanted steam. Nat retreated, and as Tom followed him, Nat jobbed him on the nozzle, again disturbing the cochineal; and on receiving a little one on the chin Nat dropped.26.—Nat began the attack by a successful endeavour to resume his lead. He got home heavily on Tom’s left cheek, which led to exchanges in favour of Nat, who repeatedly met Tom in the middle of the head. Tom got in one or two on the ribs and chest, and one on Nat’s left peeper, but not heavily. Nat returned on the face, and in retreating slipped down.27.—Langham again made play on Tom’s nose, the cork being drawn. He got in a little one on the ribs in return, and Nat fell, Sayers on him.28.—On coming up Nat led off, but misjudged his distance and was short, the blow falling on Tom’s cheek. Tom sent out his left, but got a very heavy one on his mouth in return. Some heavy exchanges followed, in which Tom got well home on Nat’s cheek, from the effect of which Nat fell.29.—One hour had now elapsed, and still there was no decided lead. Langham was again short in his opening deliveries, and Sayers, after returning on the left cheek, closed and threw his man, falling heavily on him.30.—Nat’s left once more fell short of its destination, when Tom let out his left and caught him on the mouth; Langham returned quickly on the nose, from which once more the ruby trickled. Slight exchanges followed, and Langham fell evidently weak.31.—Sayers led off, caught Nat a heavy cross hit with his left over the left peeper, inflicting a deep cut and drawing the carmine; he in return had his cork drawn by Nat’s left. Some exchanges followed, in the course of which Tom again opened the cut over Nat’s left ogle by a heavy hit from his left, and Nat fell.32.—Another good round. Nat’s left peeper looked the worse for wear, but he came gamely up, and as Tom led off he countered him on the nose. Some exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, who got well on Nat’s left cheek, and received a return on the cheek-bone. They now got to work in earnest, and some ding-dong fighting took place, as if both thought this the turning point of the battle. Each got it heavily on the frontispiece, Sayers re-opening the cut over Nat’s left eye, and receiving one or two awkward reminders on the cheek and nose. A break away followed, and then Langham again went up to his man, who met him onthe left eye another heavy spank. Nat returned on the nozzle, and immediately afterwards received another reminder on the sinister peeper, and fell. This was a capital fighting round, exhibiting the determined resolve of both men.33.—Sayers led off, got home slightly on the throat, and received a heavy one from Nat’s left on the right cheek. Excellent counter-hits followed, Tom on the cheek and Nat on the right peeper, and Nat then got down.34.—Long sparring, Langham evidently wanting wind, and Tom not much better. At last Nat went to work, got well on Tom’s damaged nose with his left, and stopped Tom’s return. Sayers tried again, and succeeded in reaching Nat’s throat, when the latter again fell.35.—Another fighting round. Good counter-hits, each receiving on the left eye. A break away and more counter-hitting, Sayers on the left peeper, and Nat well on the nose. Langham now lunged out his right with great force, but, luckily for Tom, the blow missed its destination, and Nat, overreaching himself, fell.36.—Nat, on coming up, showed his left peeper in deep mourning, and nearly closed; he was evidently weak, and the friends of Sayers were up in the stirrups. Sayers feinted, and let out his left, which reached the damaged optic, re-opening the former wound. Langham was short in his return. Sayers twice got home his left on the throat, but was stopped in the third attempt; he afterwards succeeded in reaching Nat’s left cheek, and the latter, after an ineffectual attempt to return, got down.37.—In spite of the punishment he had received in the previous round, Langham was first up, and he sent out his left, but Tom jumped quickly away, returned heavily on the forehead and ribs, and then fell.38.—Some ineffectual countering, after which Sayers got nearer, and put in a little one on the left eye. Nat retreated, and on being followed by Tom, who delivered straight on the mouth, got down weak.39.—There could be no question as to the gallantry with which both men were fighting, and although appearances were in favour of Sayers, there were not wanting those who saw the danger lying before him, and among these must assuredly be numbered Nat’s clever seconds, under whose directions and advice Langham now seemed to devote himself to land just one blow on Tom’s swollen nose, or on one of his puffy eyes, and then to get down with as little punishment and as little exertion as possible; for it was impossible to conceal Nat’s weakness, and it was decidedly a moot point whether he would be able to hold out until Tom could be forced to “put up the shutters.” Nat tried to lead off, but was stopped. Sayers attempted to return, but Nat sent out his left very straight on the left eye, and on Sayers again coming on, he delivered the same hand on Tom’s damaged smeller, and drew more claret. Tom made his left slightly on the cheek, and Nat at once went to grass.40.—Tom let go his left, got slightly home on the chest, and Nat, after returning with his left on the forehead, fell.41.—Sayers tried to take the lead, but Nat jumped quickly away; Sayers followed him up, when Nat met him with a sharp tap on the left eye, and then another left-hander on the cheek. Sayers persevered until he got home his right on Nat’s ribs, when the latter again got down.42.—Nat led off, caught Tom heavily on the left cheek and then on the brow. He tried to repeat the visitation, when Tom caught him sharply over the right peeper, drawing blood, and Nat got down. Nat’s length and cleverness were conspicuous in his left-hand deliveries.43.—Sayers rushed in, but Nat countered him on the left peeper. Sayers got in his right heavily on the bread-basket, and Nat fell.44.—After a little sparring, the men got close together, and some sharp counter-hits were exchanged, Tom getting well on to Nat’s damaged left peeper, and receiving on the right cheek. Nat now attempted another delivery, but overreached himself and fell.45.—The temporary revival of Langham’s strength seemed at an end. Sayers let go his left, got home on the cheek, and Nat, who was decidedly in “Queer Street,” again went down sick and weak.46.—Nothing done. Nat got down as soon and as easily as he could manage it.47.—Sayers led off, and caught Nat over the left ogle; this led to some counter-hits, in which Langham got home heavily on Tom’s right peeper, which was now pretty nearly closed from the repeated hits on the nose and its exposure to the bright rays of the sun. Langham received a little one on the left cheek in return, and fell.48.—Tom led off, but was countered by Nat on the left eye. In a second attempt Nat stopped him, and then popped him heavily on the nose, drawing more of the ruby. Nat succeeded in planting another heavily on the left peeper, and Tom fell for the first time for many rounds.49.—Things looked by no means so cheerful for Sayers’ backers, for although he was by far the stronger man on his pins, he now came up bleeding from both eyes, his seconds having been compelled to lance them while he was in his corner to prevent his going blind. He dashed in, aware that although much the stronger man on his legs, he must be in total darkness if he did not finish his man soon. Slight exchanges took place, Tom getting it on both eyes slightly, and returning, but without effect, on Nat’s mouth, and in the end Sayers was first down.50.—Sayers once more dashed in but was met by Nat on the left peeper. Tomreturned slightly on the body, and Langham again went to grass, apparently weak.51.—Tom rushed in, delivered his left heavily on the conk, and then his right on the ribs without a return, and Nat dropped.52.—Tom again went to work, caught Langham on the side of his nut; Nat returned on the left peeper, and then slipped down.53.—Tom led off, got home on Langham’s left eye, but the blow lacked force, and Nat fell, Sayers falling over him.54.—Sayers stepped in with his left, but was short; he tried it again, catching Nat on the waistband. Langham attempted a return, but Sayers jumped away. Nat again lunged out, but, overreaching himself, fell.55.—Nat seemed to shake himself together, went up to his man, led off with his left on the right cheek, and got away. Sayers followed him up, when some sharp exchanges took place, Nat reaching Tom’s damaged snout, and once more turning on the tap. Tom returned the compliment on the left cheek, and Langham fell weak, Tom falling over him, not much better off.56.—It was now clear that Tom’s peepers had not many minutes to remain open, and he therefore at once led off, but was out of distance; in a second attempt he caught Nat over the left peeper, but received another hot one on the nose in return. He would not be shaken off, however; he followed Nat and let fly his left on the jaw. Sharp counter-hits followed, Sayers on the mouth and nose, and Nat on the right ogle, and Langham fell.57.—Tom at once rushed in, but was stopped. His next effort reached Nat’s mouth, and the latter got down.58.—Both were nearly pumped out, and it was evident that a chance hit might finish Langham, while Sayers, if he could not deliver that hit, must soon “cut it.” The men let fly simultaneously, each getting it on the frontispiece. A break away followed, after which Tom reached Nat’s left eye, but not effectively. A close, in which Tom caught his man with his right as he went down, and then fell on him.59.—Langham went to his man, delivered his left heavily on the nose, and received a little one on the jaw. He then rushed at Sayers, who stepped back, and Nat, missing his mark, fell.60.—Sayers’s fate was sealed; like Jack Broughton in the memorable account of Captain Godfrey,[25]he might have exclaimed, “I can’t see my man; I’m blind, not beat. Only let me see my man and he shall not gain the day yet!” Tom rushed in open-handed. Nat stepped on one side, met him as he came on the left peeper, and then beside the nose. Tom persevered, but Langham easily avoided him, and then propped him in the mouth heavily. Tom continued to bore in, and got in a round hit on the side of Nat’s head, whereon Nat returned with his left just behind Tom’s ear, and both fell. Sayers evidently all abroad.61 and last.—It was beyond a doubt now that Sayers could not see what he was doing or where he was going, and there were loud cries from his backers of “take him away,” which Alec Keene was anxious to do; but Tom, full of pluck as ever, resolutely refused to give in, and swinging his arms, walked deliberately to the scratch. He lunged out, but could not judge his distance, and Nat, waiting for him coolly until he came again, hit him heavily on the right eye. Poor Tom struck out wildly and altogether at random, and Nat getting out of his way delivered a heavy left-hander on the left eye, which put up the other shutter, and he rather fell than was knocked down. On being helped to his corner, despite his entreaties, Alec Keene, seeing there was no hope, threw up the sponge, and Langham was proclaimed the victor in this truly gallant struggle, after a contest that had been protracted for two hours and two minutes. Immediately the fiat had been pronounced in his favour, Nat walked across the ring to shake hands with his defeated opponent, who shed bitter tears of disappointment and humiliation, while Nat, seeming to acquire fresh strength from the consciousness of victory, contrived to leap over the ropes, although five minutes before he could hardly stand on his legs.Remarks.—Nothing could possibly be farther from our thoughts or wishes than any attempt to detract from the gallant achievements of Nat Langham in thus maintaining his title as middle-weight champion, and also earning a lasting fame as the only man who ever licked Tom Sayers. Still, in fairness to the beaten man, it must be remembered that Sayers was at that time by no means either so good a boxer nor so strong a man as he became a few years later, when he defeated one big man after another. Moreover, his defeat was palpably owing to his want of condition, in consequence of which his face puffed up and his eyes closed with far less punishment than he could otherwise have taken scatheless. But when all allowances have been made, the fact remains, that the gallant Nat did defeat the otherwise invincible Tom, and thus worthily dosed a pugilistic career, which, like Sayers’s, had only once been clouded by defeat. Nothing could be more deserving of the highest praise and warmest admiration than the cool courage and calculating generalship with which, when he found that the superior strength of his adversary was likely to prove too much for him, he at once adopted the only system of tactics likely to serve him, and deliberately set to work to avert defeat by blinding his opponent. How skilfully hecarried this plan into effect we have seen, and it is interesting to remember that Sayers never forgot the lesson he had received, but himself put it into practical effect on the occasion of his fight with Heenan.Sayers’s gallant stand was duly appreciated by his friends, and upwards of fifty pounds were collected for him in the train during the homeward journey. Immediately he had recovered his eyesight Tom challenged Langham to another trial of skill, but Nat announced his retirement from the Ring; and, further, his opening of the “Cambrian Stores,” Castle Street, Leicester Square, where he decorated a showy lamp, bearing his name and the inscription, “Champion of the Middle-weights.” At this period our hero developed into a publican; for your successful pugilist is a publican in chrysalis, so sure as a caddis shall become a May-fly in due season. Sayers, however, had also become the landlord of the “Bricklayers’ Arms,” in his favourite locality of Camden Town, and demurred to Nat’s lamp and inscription. “Here am I,” said he, “ready for all comers, Nat Langham included. He has been beaten by Harry Orme, who has retired, and I have been beaten by him. As I do not believe myself conquered on my merits, but by inferior condition, I claim the Championship of the Middle-weights.”The introduction of Harry Orme’s name is irrelevant, as Orme, Aaron Jones (12 stone), Tom Paddock (12 stone), Harry Broome (12 stone), claimed and fought for the actual and unlimited “Championship,” during the interregnum closed by Tom Sayers’s successive disposal of Aaron Jones, Bill Perry (the Tipton Slasher), 13 stone, Bill Benjamin (Bainge), 12 stone, and Tom Paddock. Quitting this point, however, Nat’s reply was conclusive. He had espoused the niece of Ben Caunt, had settled down, and did not see why he should risk all these “hostages given to fortune,” by trusting what Captain Godfrey calls in his sketch of Broughton, “a battle to a waning age.” Langham’s health, too, never robust, was by no means A 1, and he prudently preferred leaving off a winner, as disposing of such a boxer as Tom Sayers was by no means what betting men would call a “safe thing.” He, therefore, in a brief epistle declined Tom’s cartel, and told him he might paint his lamp at the “Bricklayers’ Arms” in any way he chose; meantime that he, Langham, had won the title of Middle-weight Champion and meant to wear it, and certainly should not transfer it from Castle Street to Camden Town; and there the controversy closed.We should here close the history of Nat Langham’s career in theP.R.but for the regrettable incident of his rescinding his commendable resolution of retirement four years later, in 1857, in the September of which year, owing to some domestic jars with his relative and neighbour, “Big Ben,” the ill-assorted pair met in battle array to decide their fistic merits, also who should forfeit a stake of £100 to the other, and to settle a family feud in which the public could not feel the slightest possible interest. How they did not achieve either of these three results will be found fully set forth in our account of their drawn-battle, in the Life ofCaunt, in ChapterII.of the present volume.Langham, in his later years, was host of the “Mitre” tavern inSt.Martin’s Lane, and died at the “Cambrian,” Castle Street, Leicester Square, September 1st, 1871.[24]Harry Brunton still flourishes (June, 1881), it cannot be said in a “greenold age,” at the “Nag’s Head,” Wood Green, a handy house of call in the Green Lanes, near the Alexandra Palace.[25]SeePugilistica,vol. i.,p.28.
“Takehim for all in all,” the subject of this chapter, as a middle-weight, was “a man” of whom might be safely said “we shall not look upon his like again.” He was of the weight so often described by the “old school” as the “unlucky 11 stone; too heavy for the light, and too light for the heavy ones.” Yet at that weight it is indisputable that the finest specimens of skill, strength, and activity have been developed, where courage and endurance have been duly combined, “to give the world assurance of a man.”
Nathaniel Langham was born in May, 1820, at Hinckley in Leicestershire; his height 5 feet 10 inches, and weight, as already stated, 11 stone. Nat’s earlier years were passed as a country labourer’s are usually. In his boyish days he worked in the fields, and as soon as he was fitted, made his way into Leicester, where he was engaged by a tradesman, as he himself has told us, to “deliver goods with a horse and cart.” While in this town he attained, in the years 1841–1843, an insight into the more scientific manœuvres of the art pugilistic, for which he had a natural taste and instinctive aptitude, being much praised by Dick Cain, who often encouraged him to “put on the mittens” with rural roughs who might fancy their fistic abilities, and who gave Nat the best of tactical advice and instruction. Notwithstanding this episode of town life, it is certain that in February, 1843, Langham was again at his native village of Hinckley, for inBell’s Lifeof February 12th we find the following paragraph, recording the first Ring fight of our hero:—
Nat LanghamNAT LANGHAM.From a Painting byWilliams.
NAT LANGHAM.
From a Painting byWilliams.
“A fight came off on Thursday last, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, between Nathaniel Langham, of Hinckley, and William Ellis, of Sabcote (an adjacent village), for £5 a side. The men were of pretty equal proportions,each standing a little under six feet, but, if anything, Ellis is the larger man; he is an old fighter, and was considered by his backers (though they must now be convinced to the contrary) invincible. Langham, too, has appeared in the Ring before, and distinguished himself as a man of no small talent as regards his milling capabilities. The fight took place about eleven o’clock, when both men went to work hard and fast, Langham hitting well at his man, and getting his blows home. Ellis was unable to hit his antagonist with effect, and at the expiration of the eighth round showed his sense by giving in, having his peepers most effectually darkened, his lips cut, and other very visible marks of heavy and frequent visitations from Langham’s skilfully directed ‘fives.’”
Nat after this took his way to the great mart for all rising talent, the Metropolis, landing at Ben Caunt’s early in 1844. On the 7th of May in that year Langham found himself one of a pugilistic party, headed by Ben Caunt, on board of the “Nymph” steamer, outward bound in search of a convenient battle-field for the settlement of the “difference of opinion” between Joe Bostock (a former opponent of Johnny Broome) and Turner, the “Wychwood Forester.” This affair disposed of, by Bostock winning in thirty-four minutes, a purse was collected for “an afterpiece.” Thereupon Tom Lowe, a stalwart coal-whipper of some repute as conqueror in various bye-battles, and who afterwards beat Hurley at 12 stone, presented himself. Nat proposed to answer the challenger, and “Big Ben” gave his approval of the experiment. D’Orsay Turner, and Mike Driscoll seconded Langham, Jack Cullen and Ned Adams picking up Lowe. The battle was a curious, scrambling affair, according to the meagre paragraph which is afforded to it inBell’s Life. In fact, it is within our knowledge that the reporter on this occasion had left the ring and gone aboard the steamer before it was known that a second fight was arranged. In the 43rd round, when Lowe was said to have “the best of the battle” (?) we are told, “On getting up from his corner Lowe, much to the surprise of most parties, went up to his adversary, and shaking hands with him, declined fighting any more; Langham was of course proclaimed the victor, after fighting 50 minutes.” We suspect the verbal amateur reporter of this affair did not know so much about Nat Langham’s capabilities as Mr. Lowe had found out during the 50 minutes he had faced him. At any rate, Caunt was so satisfied with his “novice’s” display that he offered to back him for £25 against any man of his weight. Langham also put forth a challenge to fight Joe Bostock, the conqueror in this day’s battle, “for £25, to meetwithin six weeks of signing articles;” but Johnny Broome, who was behind Bostock, and than whom in his day there was no better judge, having availed himself of an opportunity of trying Nat with the gloves, would not have the engagement at any price, and so the affair came to nought. A clear twelvemonth now elapsed before Nat could meet with a customer, although we find him offering himself as a candidate for pugilistic honours at 11 stone, and give 7lb., for £25; money ready at “The Lion,” at Hinckley, or the “Coach and Horses,”St.Martin’s Lane.
In the month of June, 1845, Langham being then under the wing of Ben Caunt, an outsider presented himself at the Champion’s hostelrie, and in the course of conversation announced himself as “Doctor” Campbell; he was soon recognised as the successful opponent of Ben Hart, in a punishing fight of seventy-one rounds, which took place on the 3rd of November, 1842, in the Kentish marshes. A bout with the gloves with “brother Bob” (certainly no great “trial-horse”) was followed by the “Doctor,” who weighed close on 12 stone, declaring himself to be “in want of a job,” whereon Nat suggested to his patron Ben that he thought he could accommodate the “Doctor” by giving him a few pounds’ weight and a beating. Ben, who was ever close-fisted, offered to put down a “fiver” for Nat; and, as the “Doctor’s” friends were not flush of money, that modest sum remained without increase until the 12th of June, when Big Ben, as M.C., taking advantage of the hiring of a steamer for a more important “excursion,” shipped his man Nat, and conveyed him to the battle-field at Rainham Ferry, at which place “Doctor” Campbell and friends were in waiting. No contemporary report of the rounds is extant, but we know from eye-witnesses that Nat, though with small preparation, in the short space of thirty-five minutes so used his left “pickaxe”—as it was afterwards expressively termed by no less a master of arts than Tom Sayers himself—that the “Doctor” was completely “physicked.” In the 27th round he “retired from professional practice,” entirely disabled, and declined further contest, and never again showed within the ropes of theP.R.
Dan Hagerty, who had beaten Bill Amos, Jack Johnston, and subsequently the hard-hitting Aby Durell, was challenged by Nat for £25 a side; but Dan’s backers, after some conference, thought it best to leave the Leicester man alone, and a sov. down was forfeited.
Nat now retired into country quarters, and we next hear of him as matched with a boxer of great local renown, hight George Gutteridge, of Bourne, in Lincolnshire. Gutteridge, who was born in 1823, stood5 feet 9 inches, and weighed 11 stone 7 lbs., began his rising career in April, 1845, by beating, in 23 sharp rounds, George Graham (known as the “Potter”); this he followed in June, 1846, by defeating Macdonald, of Derby (the conqueror of Jem Bailey and several others), in a slashing fight of thirty-five minutes, in which 31 rattling rounds were contested. About this time we saw Gutteridge in London, at Caunt’s, and a more likely young fellow for wear and tear, his pluck being undoubted, we have seldom seen. His skill as a fighter, like all rural champions, was, of course, ridiculously overrated; and when Ben pointed him out to us as “that’s the chap that’s matched against Langham, what do you think of him?” there was a sort of hesitancy in the Champion’s tone, that expressed anxious doubt for the safety of the “quarter of a hundred,” besides “training ex’s,” which he had invested on the “wager of battle.” Caunt having received £7 from Gutteridge’s friends, for the right of naming the place of meeting, Mr. Banton’s, New Inn, at Bourne, South Lincolnshire, was named as the rendezvous, and thither on the overnight of the battle, Tuesday, June 9th, 1846, Caunt, with Langham and friends, repaired. At 8 a.m. the men went to scale, Langham drawing 11 stone, Gutteridge 11 stone 8 lbs. Langham looked thin but hard, as if somewhat overtrained. Gutteridge showed wonderfully strong, though a trifle fleshy. An excellent ring was formed at South Farm Pastures, about three miles from Bourne, and around it was grouped a large attendance of the gentry, yeomen, farmers, and labourers, with a sprinkling of sporting men from Leicestershire and the Midlands. The order, good-temper, and we might say decorum of the assembly, and the conduct of the spectators throughout the fight, were an example to such gatherings which we despair in these days to see imitated, either down rail or river. Langham had for his seconds Dan Bufton and John Gill; Gutteridge was excited on by Homer Howden and his former antagonist “Potter George” (Graham). The colours, a canary yellow for Langham, and a blue and white spot for Gutteridge, being tied to the stakes, the men shook hands cheerfully, and the battle began, the current odds being 6 and 7 to 4 on Gutteridge.
THE FIGHT.Round 1.—The attitude of Nat was by far the more artistic, though that of the Lincolnshire man was by no means awkward or constrained; yet he held his arms too close and across to deliver at a well-judged distance; accordingly, after a little sparring just to feel his way, Nat popped in a couple of such sharp facers, jumping back from the return, that the question of “first blood” was settled almost in the first hit, the crimson fluid trickling from Gutteridge’s left optic. The Lincoln man, who was evidently no flincher, went in ding-dong, Langham retreating perforcefrom his determined rush, but delivering two or three cutting left-handers on his assailant’s frontispiece before he went down at the ropes on the saving suit.2.—Nat came up cool as a cucumber, with no visible marks of hitting save a red bump on his left cheek-bone, and a slight flush of colour which rather improved his complexion. Gutteridge, on the contrary, had a gaping cut over the right eye, a prominent blue mouse under the left optic, and his teeth were tinged from his cut lip. He rattled in undismayed, but got little by the motion, the balance of the exchanges being all in favour of Leicester. In a close, however, he gripped Master Nat, and embracing him, showed his superior strength by forcing him down and falling on him heavily. (Cheering for Gutteridge.)3.—Nat dodging in, and then retreating, to get his man to follow. Gutteridge, by advice of his seconds, refusing to do so, Nat woke him up by twice visiting his left eye clean over his guard, whereupon Gutteridge, stung by these long shots, rushed to close quarters, and after taking a prop or two fought Nat down in his own corner. (The Lincoln man’s friends in high glee.)4 to 10.—Langham seemed steady and cool, and none the worse for Mr. Gutteridge’s lunges, and the rapid rallies which followed at close quarters. Not so Gutteridge, whose portrait was gradually painted in crimson by a master-hand. Though there was active fighting on both sides, there was a somewhat tedious similarity in the rounds, Langham improving his lead in every bout, and Gutteridge failing in most cases, in clenching his adversary for the throw.From the 11th to the 50th round Gutteridge showed himself dangerous, and with unflinching game every now and then raised the hopes of his partisans by remaining on his legs after severe exchanges of blows, then walking to his corner to seat himself on his second’s knee, while Nat, husbanding his strength, was tenderly carried, often sedan fashion, by his careful attendants to his appointed resting-place.In the 51st round, to the surprise of all, Langham seemed to recover second wind; perceiving the shaky state of his brave opponent, he assumed the offensive, and delivered half a dozen hits left and right at arm’s length, the last of which sent down Gutteridge in his corner all of a heap; the first fair knock down. From this point the rounds became short, poor Gutteridge gradually losing almost every glimpse of daylight, coming up round after round until the 93rd, when, perceiving the last chance of his man had vanished, Hodgkiss threw up the sponge in Gutteridge’s corner in token of defeat, and Nat was hailed the victor of the day, after a severe contest ofone hour and twenty-five minutesof active and actual fighting; Langham’s superiority as a boxer being evident from first to last.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—The attitude of Nat was by far the more artistic, though that of the Lincolnshire man was by no means awkward or constrained; yet he held his arms too close and across to deliver at a well-judged distance; accordingly, after a little sparring just to feel his way, Nat popped in a couple of such sharp facers, jumping back from the return, that the question of “first blood” was settled almost in the first hit, the crimson fluid trickling from Gutteridge’s left optic. The Lincoln man, who was evidently no flincher, went in ding-dong, Langham retreating perforcefrom his determined rush, but delivering two or three cutting left-handers on his assailant’s frontispiece before he went down at the ropes on the saving suit.
2.—Nat came up cool as a cucumber, with no visible marks of hitting save a red bump on his left cheek-bone, and a slight flush of colour which rather improved his complexion. Gutteridge, on the contrary, had a gaping cut over the right eye, a prominent blue mouse under the left optic, and his teeth were tinged from his cut lip. He rattled in undismayed, but got little by the motion, the balance of the exchanges being all in favour of Leicester. In a close, however, he gripped Master Nat, and embracing him, showed his superior strength by forcing him down and falling on him heavily. (Cheering for Gutteridge.)
3.—Nat dodging in, and then retreating, to get his man to follow. Gutteridge, by advice of his seconds, refusing to do so, Nat woke him up by twice visiting his left eye clean over his guard, whereupon Gutteridge, stung by these long shots, rushed to close quarters, and after taking a prop or two fought Nat down in his own corner. (The Lincoln man’s friends in high glee.)
4 to 10.—Langham seemed steady and cool, and none the worse for Mr. Gutteridge’s lunges, and the rapid rallies which followed at close quarters. Not so Gutteridge, whose portrait was gradually painted in crimson by a master-hand. Though there was active fighting on both sides, there was a somewhat tedious similarity in the rounds, Langham improving his lead in every bout, and Gutteridge failing in most cases, in clenching his adversary for the throw.
From the 11th to the 50th round Gutteridge showed himself dangerous, and with unflinching game every now and then raised the hopes of his partisans by remaining on his legs after severe exchanges of blows, then walking to his corner to seat himself on his second’s knee, while Nat, husbanding his strength, was tenderly carried, often sedan fashion, by his careful attendants to his appointed resting-place.
In the 51st round, to the surprise of all, Langham seemed to recover second wind; perceiving the shaky state of his brave opponent, he assumed the offensive, and delivered half a dozen hits left and right at arm’s length, the last of which sent down Gutteridge in his corner all of a heap; the first fair knock down. From this point the rounds became short, poor Gutteridge gradually losing almost every glimpse of daylight, coming up round after round until the 93rd, when, perceiving the last chance of his man had vanished, Hodgkiss threw up the sponge in Gutteridge’s corner in token of defeat, and Nat was hailed the victor of the day, after a severe contest ofone hour and twenty-five minutesof active and actual fighting; Langham’s superiority as a boxer being evident from first to last.
At the giving up of the stakes at Caunt’s on the following Thursday, Angelo, of Windsor, was backed against Langham for £50 a side, but the match went off, Gutteridge’s backer posting a small deposit for a second encounter, which was covered on the part of Langham, who afterwards received forfeit, the Lincolnshire friends of the former considering the first judgment of the referee not likely to be reversed on a new trial.
William Sparkes, a hardy Australian, having fought his way to fame at the Antipodes, and made the voyage to the Old Country, in further search of “the bubble reputation,” was introduced in the early part of 1847 to the London Ring, under the patronage of Johnny Broome, and that ’cute observer at once commended him to his Corinthian visitors, as “just the sort of man to polish off Master Nat,” who, in the estimate of Johnny, “was dangerously clever, but had no constitution.” Sparkes, at this time, was certainly a fine, hardy specimen of a “corn-stalk” as could be seen in a summer’s day. Twenty-six years of age, firmly put together, round-limbed, muscular, and active, and not only bringing with him a belt as a pugilist, but also a trophy won by his fleetness of foot as a pedestrian “champion,” he was certainly a “representative man,” so far as Australianprowess was in question. With him, then, Langham was matched, as champion of the honour of the Old Country, for £50 a side, and Tuesday, May 4th, 1847, was fixed for the final settlement of the question.
On that day, at an early hour, the “Nymph” being chartered for the voyage, the party embarked from the now-abolished Hungerford Market Pier, and thence dropped down to Blackwall, where, on the Brunswick Pier, a goodly muster of the Fancy had assembled, and where, also, a coal-tug or two, laden with “Cheapside” customers, were in waiting to follow in the wake of the Fancy “flag-ship.” From some petty jealousy, into the cause of which we do not care to inquire, Tom Spring, Peter Crawley, and a group of Corinthians here shipped themselves on board the regular Gravesend passenger-boat, instead of taking tickets by the chartered “Fancy” craft. Johnny Broome, who was in command, suppressed any mortification he might have felt, but did not the less determine to balance accounts with the Separatists, as the sequel will show. The “Nymph” cast off from the Blackwall Pier, and led the way towards Charlton, where Langham was taken on board, having been trained by Robinson (“Caunt’s Pet”), near Dartford; the Australian had already been shipped at Hungerford. While we lay-to off Charlton Pier, the Gravesend boat, with the two crowded tugs in attendance, pursued their downward course. Soon after, as the “Nymph,” at half-speed, was nearing Erith, Johnny Broome called “a council of war,” wherein he announced his resolution to disappoint those who had shown such a want of that unanimity which we had so often publicly advocated on these occasions. He proposed that we should “about ship,” and make a return voyage, leaving the “secessionists,” including the “tuggites” and the Gravesend passengers, to the enjoyment of their excursion, without the prospect of seeing the day’s mill, from the appointed and legitimate mode of being present at which they had thus wilfully disentitled themselves. His arguments were unanswerable. The bow of the “Nymph” was quickly put up stream, the tide was flowing, and back we went; indeed, almost before the downward voyagers were aware of our change of course, we were steaming through the Pool, and thence pursued our way, never stopping until Nine Elms Pier was reached. There the men and their friends disembarked, and, availing themselves of a train by the South Western Railway, proceeded to Woking Common. On arriving, the Commissary and assistants quickly prepared a ring, on the ground where Barnash and Martin fought a fortnight previous; and in half an hour, the party having refreshed themselves meantime at a neighbouringhostelrie, a select party of about one hundred spectators surrounded the roped enclosure, heartily laughing at “the sell” practised upon the “Secesh,” who had cut themselves off by their own want ofesprit du corpsfrom witnessing the fight. Among the disappointed were some “knowing ones,” who, in those days of “pigeon expresses,” had carried down their feathered messengers, with the view of conveying to their London confederates the first news of the battle and its result.
At half-past two o’clock the combatants entered the lists; Langham esquired by D’Orsay Turner and Barnash, Sparkes seconded by Sam Simmonds (of Birmingham) and Joe Rowe. The “sestette” shook hands in a friendly manner, and the men proceeded to their toilettes, while umpires and a referee were chosen. All preliminaries being adjusted, and the colours (white with a scarlet border for Sparkes, and a blue birdseye for Langham) knotted to the stake, the men toed the scratch for
THE FIGHT.Round 1.—On throwing themselves into position, the advantage on the part of Langham as to height and length was obvious to all, while the brawny frame of the Australian showed him to be the more powerful of the two. He stood with his left arm straight out from the shoulder, with his right hand well up, his body being inclined backwards in an extraordinary manner. Langham threw his arms about quickly, as if to put the Australian off his guard, but in vain. At length Langham led off with his right, which was twice cleverly stopped. Sparkes made play, catching Langham slightly on the side of the jaw with his left. Langham again tried his left, but was again stopped. In another attempt he was more successful, and caught the Australian on the nose slightly. Sparkes closed, delivered two good body blows, and both were down. (The opinion round the ring was that the Australian was far from being the “novice” that he was anticipated to be.)2.—Langham led off at the nose with his left, and got on smartly. Sparkes returned heavily with his right on the body and side of the head with his left, knocking Langham off his legs. (First knock-down for Sparkes, amidst some astonishment.)3.—Langham immediately led off, getting slightly home on the body. Sparkes dashed in, hit up on the forehead, then fibbed his man in the ribs with the right, and Langham got down.4.—Langham made play and worked in at his man, who got cleverly away. Sparkes then went to him, delivered his favourite body blow, Langham staggered back against the ropes, and got down.5.—No hesitation on either side; Sparkes stopped two well-intended compliments from his adversary’s left. Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes getting it on the nose twice, but without impression. Langham slipped down.6.—Sparkes tried his left and right, but was short in both attempts. Langham jobbed him in the left cheek heavily, and got down in the half-arm hitting, evidently not anxious to test the strength of his adversary in a close.7.—Langham led off with his left, but Sparkes met him with a heavy hit on the body, and Langham went down.8.—Langham again tried to lead off, but the Australian was as quick as himself, countered him in the forehead, Langham getting in sharply, at a well-judged distance, on his adversary’s nose, from which he displaced the bark, and drewfirst blood. Sparkes delivered his right heavily on the ribs, knocking Langham down for the second time.9.—Langham first to fight, catching Sparkes on the side of his nose, Sparkes returning heavily on the chest and ribs with both hands, and Langham down.10.—The men rushed together, and after a slight exchange of hits, Langham slipped down.11.—Langham commenced by delivering his left heavily on Sparkes’s left eye. Sparkes caught him on the forehead with his left, on the body with his right, and Langham got down.12.—Langham delivered on the left cheek, received a slight body blow, and got down. Sparkes by far the stronger man.13.—Good body blows were exchanged. Langham then planted upon his adversary’s nose with his left; Sparkes let fly at the body, and Langham was again down.14 and 15.—Sparkes forced the fighting, but Langham jobbed him heavily as he came in. Sparkes delivered very slightly on the ribs, and Langham got down leary. [The fighting was extremely quick, no round having lasted half a minute. Fourteen minutes had now elapsed.]16.—Langham got well in on the side of the head with his left twice as Sparkes tried to bore in. Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes napping it on the nose, and Langham on the body. The latter then slipped down.17.—Good counter-hits and a sharp rally; a close, in which Langham fibbed his man in the head, and after a short struggle both were down, Sparkes this time under.18.—Sparkes led off, getting in one on the ribs with his right, and his left on the forehead, but too short to be effective. Langham seemed to have got the measure of his man; he jobbed him heavily in the left eye and on the cheek, and got down.19 to 21.—Similar to the last. Rapid fighting, Sparkes occasionally putting in a body blow, Langham jobbing him severely in the head, and getting down in the close.22.—Langham led off with his left, catching the Australian heavily on the side of his head; Sparkes returned on the nose, but not heavily. Langham then planted his left severely on Sparkes’s right cheek, drawing the claret. Sparkes closed, threw his man, and fell over him.23.—Langham tried to open with sparring on the defensive, but Sparkes forced the fighting. Heavy exchanges left and right, those of Langham drawing more blood from Sparkes’s cheek and eye, Sparkes still fighting at the body. Langham eventually got down.24 to 32.—Langham took the lead in these rounds, Sparkes hitting with less precision; Nat repeatedly jobbed his man heavily in the face, but Sparkes was thorough game, and would not be denied; he occasionally put in a body blow which sounded all over the ring; Sparkes’s left eye was fast closing, and his right cheek showed marks of punishment. In the 32nd round, in a rally, Langham caught the Australian a severe blow with his right on the left ear, from which the blood was quickly seen to flow. Langham showed no marks beyond a slight swelling on his forehead, and a redness about his ribs. So quick was the fighting that only 32 minutes had been occupied up to the close of this round.33.—Sparkes changed his style a little and hit higher, declining to be drawn on. He sent his right well home on Langham’s jaw; Langham returned with his left on the left eye-brow, which he cut. Sparkes then got in his right on Langham’s left eye, on which he raised a slight mouse. Langham got down in an attempt by Sparkes to close.34 and 35.—Langham met his man as he came in with well-directed jobs, the Australian still fighting at the body. In the latter round he closed, and threw Langham, falling on him.36.—Counter-hits; Langham catching his adversary heavily on the left ear, again drawing blood. Sparkes rushed in, delivered his favourite body blow, and again knocked Nat clean off his legs.37.—Langham came up slow, the last hit had evidently shaken him. Sparkes rushed at him to follow up his advantage, but Langham stopped him right and left, got away, and ultimately slipped down.38.—Langham, still keeping away, propped the Australian as he came in, and got down.39.—Langham had not yet recovered himself from the visitation in the 36th round, but Sparkes could not get the lead, as his man not only stopped cleverly, but got away immediately he went to him, and eventually slipped down.From this to the 58th round the same style of fighting was continued; the men commenced work immediately on arriving at the scratch. Sparkes’s body blows came in occasionally with great force, but some were stopped by Langham very prettily, and the latter recovering his strength, he jobbed his man severely in the head. Sparkes’s right eye was following suit with his left, which was quite closed, and blood was drawn every round from his ear or cheek. The rounds were almost invariably finished by Langham going down to avoid the struggle and throw. In the 50th round, after a few rattling exchanges, Sparkes, for the fourth time, sent his man to grass, with a heavy right-handed hit in the ribs.59 to 61.—Langham propped his man heavily as he attempted to come in. Sparkes, however, fought with unflinching courage, and would not retreat, and often bored Nat down.62.—Langham got home on Sparkes’s neck, Sparkes returned on the ribs. A close followed, in which Langham was down, with Sparkes on him. Sparkes unfortunately had his right arm under his man, who fell heavily on it, and, as it afterwards appeared, broke the bone of his forearm. On coming up for the 63rd round, Sparkes held his right arm up, but was quickly compelled to drop it, from the pain he suffered. Langham went in and milled away until the Australian went down. From this to the 67th and last round Sparkes came up bravely, keeping his right arm close to his side, and attempted to plant upon his man with his left; it was of course in vain. Langham was too good a strategist to be planted on, and working in with both hands upon the game fellow in each round, punishing him until he went down. He was repeatedly asked by his seconds to give in, but in vain; his game was such that he almost disdained to sit on his second’s knee until the call of time. At length, in the 67th round, Johnny Broome entered the ring and threw up his hat intoken of defeat, after a contest of 68 minutes, and even then it was with the greatest difficulty that Sparkes’s seconds could prevent his rising and rushing at his man to have another “shy.” A gamer or more fearless boxer never entered the Ring.Remarks.—Langham in this contest confirmed the opinion we entertained of his former fight with Gutteridge. He is a clever, scientific fighter, good on his legs, and a heavy hitter; and although the practice of getting down is anything but commendable, still, with a determined adversary, possessing superior bodily powers, every allowance must be made for the caution of a wily general. He evidently saw that to struggle with such a man as Sparkes would be attended with no advantage to himself, and he therefore determined not to throw a chance away. His superior length, and his quickness in meeting the Australian hero as he came in, in a great measure protected his mug from damage; but the fact of his leaving the ring with scarcely a scratch was mainly to be attributed to the style of Sparkes, who, when he fought at the head, invariably hit too high to do damage. Sparkes proved himself one of the gamest fellows that ever pulled off a shirt; he is a hard hitter, and stops with great neatness; but in Langham he contended with an adversary who had the advantage of him in every respect except in strength and courage (the latter attribute was not, however, wanting in either man). Notwithstanding the severe punishment he received about the head, however, he came up as strong on his legs at the end as at the commencement of the fight, and in almost every round declined all assistance of his seconds to carry him to his corner. Had it not been for the accident to his arm in the 65th round, the contest would, no doubt, have lasted longer, possibly with a different result. As to style, however, Langham was the superior fighter. The affair concluded, all returned to town per train, and “The Nymph,” in attendance at Nine Elms, conveyed her cargo to the port whence they embarked. The battle money was given to Langham at Ben Caunt’s. This is the first time that Sparkes was beaten, having fought in and out of the ring in N.S.W. with several men. His last four adversaries were Chas. Wooten, of Nottingham (N.S.W.), for £25 a side; Joe Marshall, of the same place, for £50 a side; Bill Davis, of Liverpool (N.S.W.), for £100 a side (after the conquest of whom he received his belt); and “Tom the brewer,” for £100 a side.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—On throwing themselves into position, the advantage on the part of Langham as to height and length was obvious to all, while the brawny frame of the Australian showed him to be the more powerful of the two. He stood with his left arm straight out from the shoulder, with his right hand well up, his body being inclined backwards in an extraordinary manner. Langham threw his arms about quickly, as if to put the Australian off his guard, but in vain. At length Langham led off with his right, which was twice cleverly stopped. Sparkes made play, catching Langham slightly on the side of the jaw with his left. Langham again tried his left, but was again stopped. In another attempt he was more successful, and caught the Australian on the nose slightly. Sparkes closed, delivered two good body blows, and both were down. (The opinion round the ring was that the Australian was far from being the “novice” that he was anticipated to be.)
2.—Langham led off at the nose with his left, and got on smartly. Sparkes returned heavily with his right on the body and side of the head with his left, knocking Langham off his legs. (First knock-down for Sparkes, amidst some astonishment.)
3.—Langham immediately led off, getting slightly home on the body. Sparkes dashed in, hit up on the forehead, then fibbed his man in the ribs with the right, and Langham got down.
4.—Langham made play and worked in at his man, who got cleverly away. Sparkes then went to him, delivered his favourite body blow, Langham staggered back against the ropes, and got down.
5.—No hesitation on either side; Sparkes stopped two well-intended compliments from his adversary’s left. Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes getting it on the nose twice, but without impression. Langham slipped down.
6.—Sparkes tried his left and right, but was short in both attempts. Langham jobbed him in the left cheek heavily, and got down in the half-arm hitting, evidently not anxious to test the strength of his adversary in a close.
7.—Langham led off with his left, but Sparkes met him with a heavy hit on the body, and Langham went down.
8.—Langham again tried to lead off, but the Australian was as quick as himself, countered him in the forehead, Langham getting in sharply, at a well-judged distance, on his adversary’s nose, from which he displaced the bark, and drewfirst blood. Sparkes delivered his right heavily on the ribs, knocking Langham down for the second time.
9.—Langham first to fight, catching Sparkes on the side of his nose, Sparkes returning heavily on the chest and ribs with both hands, and Langham down.
10.—The men rushed together, and after a slight exchange of hits, Langham slipped down.
11.—Langham commenced by delivering his left heavily on Sparkes’s left eye. Sparkes caught him on the forehead with his left, on the body with his right, and Langham got down.
12.—Langham delivered on the left cheek, received a slight body blow, and got down. Sparkes by far the stronger man.
13.—Good body blows were exchanged. Langham then planted upon his adversary’s nose with his left; Sparkes let fly at the body, and Langham was again down.
14 and 15.—Sparkes forced the fighting, but Langham jobbed him heavily as he came in. Sparkes delivered very slightly on the ribs, and Langham got down leary. [The fighting was extremely quick, no round having lasted half a minute. Fourteen minutes had now elapsed.]
16.—Langham got well in on the side of the head with his left twice as Sparkes tried to bore in. Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes napping it on the nose, and Langham on the body. The latter then slipped down.
17.—Good counter-hits and a sharp rally; a close, in which Langham fibbed his man in the head, and after a short struggle both were down, Sparkes this time under.
18.—Sparkes led off, getting in one on the ribs with his right, and his left on the forehead, but too short to be effective. Langham seemed to have got the measure of his man; he jobbed him heavily in the left eye and on the cheek, and got down.
19 to 21.—Similar to the last. Rapid fighting, Sparkes occasionally putting in a body blow, Langham jobbing him severely in the head, and getting down in the close.
22.—Langham led off with his left, catching the Australian heavily on the side of his head; Sparkes returned on the nose, but not heavily. Langham then planted his left severely on Sparkes’s right cheek, drawing the claret. Sparkes closed, threw his man, and fell over him.
23.—Langham tried to open with sparring on the defensive, but Sparkes forced the fighting. Heavy exchanges left and right, those of Langham drawing more blood from Sparkes’s cheek and eye, Sparkes still fighting at the body. Langham eventually got down.
24 to 32.—Langham took the lead in these rounds, Sparkes hitting with less precision; Nat repeatedly jobbed his man heavily in the face, but Sparkes was thorough game, and would not be denied; he occasionally put in a body blow which sounded all over the ring; Sparkes’s left eye was fast closing, and his right cheek showed marks of punishment. In the 32nd round, in a rally, Langham caught the Australian a severe blow with his right on the left ear, from which the blood was quickly seen to flow. Langham showed no marks beyond a slight swelling on his forehead, and a redness about his ribs. So quick was the fighting that only 32 minutes had been occupied up to the close of this round.
33.—Sparkes changed his style a little and hit higher, declining to be drawn on. He sent his right well home on Langham’s jaw; Langham returned with his left on the left eye-brow, which he cut. Sparkes then got in his right on Langham’s left eye, on which he raised a slight mouse. Langham got down in an attempt by Sparkes to close.
34 and 35.—Langham met his man as he came in with well-directed jobs, the Australian still fighting at the body. In the latter round he closed, and threw Langham, falling on him.
36.—Counter-hits; Langham catching his adversary heavily on the left ear, again drawing blood. Sparkes rushed in, delivered his favourite body blow, and again knocked Nat clean off his legs.
37.—Langham came up slow, the last hit had evidently shaken him. Sparkes rushed at him to follow up his advantage, but Langham stopped him right and left, got away, and ultimately slipped down.
38.—Langham, still keeping away, propped the Australian as he came in, and got down.
39.—Langham had not yet recovered himself from the visitation in the 36th round, but Sparkes could not get the lead, as his man not only stopped cleverly, but got away immediately he went to him, and eventually slipped down.
From this to the 58th round the same style of fighting was continued; the men commenced work immediately on arriving at the scratch. Sparkes’s body blows came in occasionally with great force, but some were stopped by Langham very prettily, and the latter recovering his strength, he jobbed his man severely in the head. Sparkes’s right eye was following suit with his left, which was quite closed, and blood was drawn every round from his ear or cheek. The rounds were almost invariably finished by Langham going down to avoid the struggle and throw. In the 50th round, after a few rattling exchanges, Sparkes, for the fourth time, sent his man to grass, with a heavy right-handed hit in the ribs.
59 to 61.—Langham propped his man heavily as he attempted to come in. Sparkes, however, fought with unflinching courage, and would not retreat, and often bored Nat down.
62.—Langham got home on Sparkes’s neck, Sparkes returned on the ribs. A close followed, in which Langham was down, with Sparkes on him. Sparkes unfortunately had his right arm under his man, who fell heavily on it, and, as it afterwards appeared, broke the bone of his forearm. On coming up for the 63rd round, Sparkes held his right arm up, but was quickly compelled to drop it, from the pain he suffered. Langham went in and milled away until the Australian went down. From this to the 67th and last round Sparkes came up bravely, keeping his right arm close to his side, and attempted to plant upon his man with his left; it was of course in vain. Langham was too good a strategist to be planted on, and working in with both hands upon the game fellow in each round, punishing him until he went down. He was repeatedly asked by his seconds to give in, but in vain; his game was such that he almost disdained to sit on his second’s knee until the call of time. At length, in the 67th round, Johnny Broome entered the ring and threw up his hat intoken of defeat, after a contest of 68 minutes, and even then it was with the greatest difficulty that Sparkes’s seconds could prevent his rising and rushing at his man to have another “shy.” A gamer or more fearless boxer never entered the Ring.
Remarks.—Langham in this contest confirmed the opinion we entertained of his former fight with Gutteridge. He is a clever, scientific fighter, good on his legs, and a heavy hitter; and although the practice of getting down is anything but commendable, still, with a determined adversary, possessing superior bodily powers, every allowance must be made for the caution of a wily general. He evidently saw that to struggle with such a man as Sparkes would be attended with no advantage to himself, and he therefore determined not to throw a chance away. His superior length, and his quickness in meeting the Australian hero as he came in, in a great measure protected his mug from damage; but the fact of his leaving the ring with scarcely a scratch was mainly to be attributed to the style of Sparkes, who, when he fought at the head, invariably hit too high to do damage. Sparkes proved himself one of the gamest fellows that ever pulled off a shirt; he is a hard hitter, and stops with great neatness; but in Langham he contended with an adversary who had the advantage of him in every respect except in strength and courage (the latter attribute was not, however, wanting in either man). Notwithstanding the severe punishment he received about the head, however, he came up as strong on his legs at the end as at the commencement of the fight, and in almost every round declined all assistance of his seconds to carry him to his corner. Had it not been for the accident to his arm in the 65th round, the contest would, no doubt, have lasted longer, possibly with a different result. As to style, however, Langham was the superior fighter. The affair concluded, all returned to town per train, and “The Nymph,” in attendance at Nine Elms, conveyed her cargo to the port whence they embarked. The battle money was given to Langham at Ben Caunt’s. This is the first time that Sparkes was beaten, having fought in and out of the ring in N.S.W. with several men. His last four adversaries were Chas. Wooten, of Nottingham (N.S.W.), for £25 a side; Joe Marshall, of the same place, for £50 a side; Bill Davis, of Liverpool (N.S.W.), for £100 a side (after the conquest of whom he received his belt); and “Tom the brewer,” for £100 a side.
The stakes were presented to Langham at Ben Caunt’s, when a collection was made for the losing man. This was considerably augmented on the Friday week following at a benefit given to Sparkes at Johnny Broome’s. Of course the “tuggites,” and some of those thrown out by Johnny’s strategic movement on the previous Tuesday, were loud in their denunciations of his “shameful conduct,” as it was termed. At these Johnny laughed, while the sporting Press reminded them that “they had only themselves to blame for their disappointment.”
Nat’s victory over Sparkes was certainly calculated to place him in the very front rank of middle-weight boxers, and from this time until the beginning of the year ’51 he was “laid up in lavender,” until after all sorts of negotiations, and breaks-off with all sorts of men, some too heavy, and others thinking themselves too light, unless Nat (who had never much to get off in the way of flesh) could consent to reduce himself, Harry Orme, though more than half a stone heavier, was proposed. Orme’s defeat of Aaron Jones, in December, 1849, had proved him a strong, resolute, and formidable, if not a scientific boxer, and his friends, thinking his chance a good one, entered into articles for £50 a side, the battle to be decided on the 6th of May, 1851. On this occasion Nat was doomed to experience his first and only defeat, after a contest whichBell’s Lifecharacterises as “one of the gamest battles theannals of the Ring can boast;” the details of which will be found in the ensuing chapter in the Life ofHarry Orme.
Langham, who was always a well-conducted, steady fellow, now went into business as a publican at the Ram Inn, Bridge Street, Cambridge, where he won “golden opinions from all sorts of men,” securing the patronage of many University undergrads, and for two years none cared to dispute his title as “Champion of the Middle-weights,” a distinction a quarter of a century ago fully recognised at a period when the heavy weights had certainly sadly degenerated, though the time had yet to come in which “the Championship of England” should be held by a boxer under 11 stone!
So highly were Langham’s capabilities in his contest with Orme esteemed by all who witnessed that gallant fight, that his name was continually to the fore, not only in Cambridge, but among the Corinthians who held their conversaziones at Jem Burn’s, at the “Rising Sun;” at Owen Swift’s “Horseshoe;” at Limmer’s Hotel, and “The Corner;” while among the knowing ones who frequented Ben Caunt’s “Coach and Horses,” at Peter Crawley’s “Duke’s Head,” and places further east, all were of opinion that “Clever Nat” was not to be beaten by any man who had not a great pull in respect of weight.
There was, however, a sporting-house, unnamed by us as yet, situated in a street off the once-famed Seven Dials, where lived an ex-pugilist (recently deceased) who was unquestionably as good a judge of the merits of a fighting man as ever lived. This was Alec Keene, of the “Three Tuns,” Moor Street, Soho; and there were not a few Corinthians who often threaded their way through the intricacies of Soho to have a palaver with Alec Keene, and learn his straight opinion as to the chances of the competitors in some coming fight, or as to the advisability of backing this or the other candidate for a match. Among these we remember “young” Sir Robert Peel, his gallant brother William (both of them splendid boxers), Lord Ongley, Lord Drumlanrig, Sir Edward Kent, Colonel Higgins, Lord Winchilsea,cum multis aliis.
Now, among the special pets of Alec foremost stood Tom Sayers, whose merits Keene was the first among the professionals to fully perceive and boldly declare; and he never ceased to use his influence in finding him backers, in which he was zealously seconded by Harry Brunton.[24]
After Tom had beaten Jack Martin, in the January of 1853, both he and his friend Alec (who acted as his second on that occasion) were confident that the championship of the middle-weights was well within his reach, notwithstanding the admitted excellence of Nat Langham. Consequently, after many discussions and conferences, the money was made all right, and a challenge was issued from Moor Street, in which Tom announced his readiness to meet the redoubtable Nat on his own terms. There was some laughing in Air Street at Tom’s audacity, and inSt.Martin’s Lane, although in the city on the Cam lots of “collegians” were ready to find a bit of Nat’s money. It was soon ascertained, however, when Langham had accepted the challenge, and a match had been made to fight for the sum named, on the 18th of October, 1853, that although Langham was the favourite, his adherents had only to offer the slightest shade of odds in Tichborne Street or Soho to be at once accommodated to any amount they desired.
Both men went into active training at an early period. Nat, whose long rest had rendered him somewhat rusty, retired to country quarters, under the care of Jemmy Welsh, who had to give him a full dose of work to bring him, without any loss of power, within the stipulated 11st., though at this period Nat’s fighting weight was only two or three pounds in excess of that point. However, his training went smoothly on, without a break or a hitch of any kind, and, as will be seen presently, he was brought to the post in prime fettle. Tom, on the other hand, who had, as usual, gone down to the neighbourhood of Brighton—his mentor and attendant being the celebrated pedestrian, Bob Fuller—encountered quite a series of mischances. He first caught a severe cold, almost deserving to be called an influenza, which stopped him in his work. This was followed by an ugly breaking out on his face and chin, which certainly did not indicate that his blood was in its ordinary healthful condition. No difficulties of this kind dismayed either Tom or his backers, and, consequently,Bell’s Lifeon the 16th of October was enabled to announce that both men were well and full of confidence. In consequence of the day fixed for the fight being the opening day of the Warwick Meeting, there had been an endeavour to alter the day to the Monday previous, but as this was the settling-day for the Cesarewitch, the alteration would have been no improvement, if, indeed, not rather the reverse, as backers and bookmakers would both be compelled to show at Tattersall’s—the lucky backer of Haco to receive, and the unfortunate followers of the ill-fated Nabob (who was second thatyear in both the great handicaps to the turned loose youngsters, Haco and Little David) to part with what had so nearly brought them safe home.
On another account it was fortunate that the fixture remained unchanged, for on Monday the rain came down in an almost ceaseless downpour from morning till night, and the Corinthians and professionals who assembled at Caunt’s and Alec Keene’s in the evening, to obtain their tickets for the excursion, and the straight tip as to the time and place of departure, prognosticated somewhat gloomily as to the weather possibilities of the morrow.
Fortunately, these prophecies were falsified by the event, and shortly before eight o’clock, as hansom after hansom dashed up to the Eastern Counties Railway Station, in Shoreditch—the directors had not yet become sufficiently aristocratic to call it the Great Eastern Station, Bishopsgate, nor had they attained their grand terminus at Liverpool Street—their occupants shook hands heartily with the first acquaintance they encountered, and congratulated themselves on the bright October sun, which was making even the dingy East End look moderately cheerful. At half-past eight the train started, and after a pleasant journey of about three hours, past Cambridge, Ely, and Mildenhall, pulled up at Lakenheath, in Suffolk, and the living cargo, which numbered not less than four hundred, among whom were most of the Corinthian supporters of the Ring, who had come down under the special care of Jem Burn, invaded and overran the little station.
For the benefit of those who slumbered too long to refresh the inner man satisfactorily before leaving, a copious breakfast had been provided by Mr. Moore, of the “Old Rum Puncheon,” Moorfields, who, we are happy to say, still survives in this year of grace, 1881, the hale and hearty host of the “Royal Standard” at Walthamstow. Ample justice being done to this repast, we found that Tom Oliver, assisted by Tom Callas, had decided on the spot for the ring, in a field about two hundred yards from the stopping-place. While the stakes and ropes were being placedin situ, Dan Dismore attended to the sale of inner ring tickets; and the character of the gathering may be inferred from the fact that about one in five of the travellers elected to become purchasers of “privilege” cards. The men having made their toilets, Sayers, just at half-past twelve, shied his castor into the ring, following it himself, with his seconds, Alec Keene and Bob Fuller. Tom received a loud and hearty greeting from his partisans; and this had hardlydied away when the cheers were renewed as Nat Langham entered, attended by the accomplished Jemmy Welsh and Jerry Noon, who was equally clever as a second when—as upon this occasion he did—he could refrain from those eccentric performances for which he was notorious, and which, however amusing they might be to the spectators, were anything but useful to his principal. On this particular day Jerry was on his good behaviour, and did not once attempt to raise a laugh until the fight was over. Immediately on entering the ring Tom and Nat, who were “old pals,” shook hands with great cordiality, evoking the cheers of the onlookers, who were delighted at this proof that the combatants were actuated only by the desire to win fame and reputation, and, in fact, realised the description of the prizefighter by the poet:—
Who are sworn friends to one another,And first shake hands before they box;Then give each other plaguy knocks,With all the love and kindness of a brother.
Who are sworn friends to one another,And first shake hands before they box;Then give each other plaguy knocks,With all the love and kindness of a brother.
Who are sworn friends to one another,
And first shake hands before they box;
Then give each other plaguy knocks,
With all the love and kindness of a brother.
This episode completed, the referee and umpires having taken their places, the seconds retired to their corners, and all was attention as the men approached each other and began
THE FIGHT.Round 1.—On toeing the scratch the knowing ones eagerly scanned the appearance and condition of the men, in order, if possible, to gain thus some indication of the possible issue of the combat, and a few bets were made at 6 to 4 on Langham. There was a wide contrast between the men, both in appearance and condition; Langham was long and lathy; his frame was evidently that of a man who had seen severe work, and—to all appearance—not likely to last through the wear and tear of long-continued exertion. There was a smile of good-humoured confidence on his mug, however, that showed how little he feared the result of the coming combat, while his condition was simply perfect, and reflected the highest credit on his trainer. Sayers, on the other hand, although he looked—as of old—broad, strong, and burly, was clearly overburdened with flesh—the 5lb.he scaled above his accustomed 10st.7lb.being palpably all to the bad. The breaking out on his chin and face, already alluded to, certainly did not give one the idea of his being in a perfect state of health, and it may well be that to the fact of his not being in his best form may be attributed an anxious look about his eyes, so different to the gay, laughing confidence he exhibited in his other fights. Both men, on taking up position, stood with their legs too wide apart; their guards were neither easy nor graceful, nor was there anything strikingly artistic in their attitudes. They began with a good deal of sparring, and, at length, Langham let go his left, but did not get quite home. Caution was again the order of the day, until Langham once more got within distance, and tried his left a second time, just reaching Tom’s chest. Sayers now tried to draw his man, but Langham was not to be had. Sayers, therefore, approached him, when Langham popped in his left on the cheek, and then the same hand on the nose, and got away. Sayers soon followed him up, and Nat, as he retreated, again sent out his left on the cheek. More sparring now took place, and, at length, counter-hits were exchanged, Nat catching Tom on the chin and drawingfirst bloodfrom a pimple below his mouth. Sayers now bored in, and caught Nat a nasty one on the forehead, from the effects of which Langham went to grass. (First knock-down blowfor Sayers.) Little merit, however, could be attached to it, as the ground was in such a state from the previous day’s rain as to render it difficult for Nat to keep his legs, and the hit rather helped him to grass than fairly sent him there. Having now had an opportunity of judging and comparing the men, the betting settled downto 5 to 4 on Nat, the odds being principally due to Tom’s obviously bad condition, and to the fact that, having lost the toss for choice of corners, he had to fight with the sun in his eyes.2.—In this round Nat commenced the saving game, which he persisted in throughout the fight, and after planting a tap on the mouth, and receiving on the forehead, slipped down.3.—Both men ready to the call of time, and Langham led off, but the blow fell short on Tom’s chest. A second attempt was more successful, as he got home a heavy spank on Tom’s snout, from which the ruby was instantly visible. Left-handed counter-hits followed, each getting it slightly on the cheek, and Nat, in getting back again slipped down.4.—On getting within distance both went to work. Tom made his left on Nat’s cheek, and his right rather heavily on his ribs. Heavy counter-hits followed, in favour of Nat, whose length here gave him the advantage. Tom napped it again severely on the smeller, just between the eyes, and returned on Nat’s side of his head and his short ribs, the latter a sounding right-hander. Langham now retreated, and, as Tom followed him up, pinked him twice in succession with effect on the nozzle, drawing more claret. Sayers returned slightly on the ribs, and again was met by Nat on the mouth and left eye. Sayers continued to persevere, occasionally getting in a little one on Nat’s ribs, but Nat in this round appeared to have it his own way; he propped his man repeatedly on the nose and mouth, and then on the dexter eye. Again and again did Sayers go to it, but Nat jobbed him with it severely on the old spot, and at length finished the round by going down, Sayers walking away, his face brightly crimsoned by Nat’s handiwork.5.—Nat, on getting his man, let go with his left with great quickness on Tom’s nose, completely over his guard. Sayers then went to in-fighting, and got home his left on the side of Nat’s knowledge-box, and, after a slight rally, both went down. A claim of foul was made, that Sayers had hit Nat while down, but it was not allowed, the men being on the ropes when the blow was delivered.6.—Tom came up grinning, but his mug was in anything but grinning order. Langham, as usual, led off, but Tom jumped away. Tom now feinted, let go his left on Nat’s jaw, and then repeated the dose without return. Some rattling exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, and in the end Langham fell.7.—Langham attempted to plant his left, but was out of distance. Two more efforts were frustrated by Tom jumping away. Nat was not to be denied; he went in, and some rattling exchanges took place in favour of Sayers, who got home on Nat’s cheek and ribs with severity, and received one or two on the kissing organ, from which more pink was drawn, and Langham in getting back fell.8.—Langham dodged his man, and again popped in his left with great quickness over his guard, turning on the tap. Sayers returned slightly on the cheek, and, on trying to improve upon this, was countered heavily on the mouth. This led to some rapid exchanges in favour of Sayers, who got home heavily on the ribs and jaw, and received on the nasal promontory. The round finished by Langham going to earth apparently weak.9.—Sayers came up with a visible puffiness under both eyes. Langham, as usual, led off on Tom’s mouth. Sayers returned left and right on the canister and ribs, received another little one on the nose, and then lunged out with his right a sounding spank in the side. Langham retreated, and was followed up by Tom, who caught him on the mouth with his left, and Nat, after an ineffectual attempt to return, fell.10.—Langham stepped back to draw his man, who came for it, and again napped an awkward one on the snout. Sayers tried a return, but was short, and got another smack on the nose for his pains. Counter-hits followed, Nat getting it rather heavily on the left eye, and Tom on the nose. Nat, after placing a little one on the nose, fell on his south pole.11.—Langham opened the pleadings by another well-delivered spank on the proboscis, from his left, over Tom’s guard. It was wonderful to see how completely Sayers’s index seemed to be within reach of Nat’s straight-darting deliveries. Left-handed exchanges followed, but Sayers appeared to hit short. Langham delivered again with severity on the bridge of the nose, when Sayers made a one, two (the left on the side of the head, and his right on the ribs), and Langham got down on the saving suit.12.—A pause now took place, and some mutual feinting and dodging, it being “bellows to mend” on each side. Nat at length tried his left, which was prettily stopped. Sayers now went in, made his left and right on the nose and ribs, but not heavily. Langham retaliated on the nose, which led to some slight exchanges, and a close, at the end of which both fell, Langham under.13.—Sayers attempted to take the lead, but was propped heavily on the snuff-box. He, however, got in his right with severity on the ribs, and then his left on Nat’s cheek. Nat’s returns were rendered abortive by the activity of Tom, who again visited his ribs heavily with his right, and Langham fell, Tom falling over him.14.—Langham resumed his lead, and got well on to Tom’s damaged nose and mouth. Sayers’s nose and cheeks puffing visibly, to the great danger of his clear sight for attack or defence. Tom countered him heavily oncheek and ribs, and Langham fell, Tom on him.15.—Sayers went to his man, planted his left on the side of Nat’s brain-pan. Langham returned on the neck with his right, a round hit, and fell in getting away.16.—Nat sent in his left, over Tom’s guard, upon his nose heavily, and again turned on the main. Good counters followed, Nat on the nose, and Tom on the neck heavily. Exchanges, in which Tom got on to Nat’s left cheek, and Langham got down, Sayers falling over him.17.—Langham was short in two attempts with his left, and a third was stopped, when Sayers dashed out his left, getting home on the ribs. Langham returned with good effect on the nose, and both fell.18.—Long sparring until Nat let fly his left on the old spot. Tom made his right on the ribs, but again got a nasty crack on the side of his cranium, and Langham got down.19.—Nat was again short in his lead. Tom was more successful, got home his right on the ribs, and Nat was again down.20.—This was a good round on both sides. After a little sparring Langham tried his left, but Tom jumped well away. In a second attempt Nat got slightly home on the chest, and then on the nose. Sayers countered him on the mouth, and then some exchanges took place, in which Nat hit the straightest, Tom’s blows appearing to be open-handed. Sayers now went in, but got it heavily on the nose from Nat, who fought on the retreat. Tom followed him up, got well home on the jaw, and then on the nose and left eye, knocking Langham clean off his legs. (A fair knock-down blow.)21.—Tho last blow delivered by Sayers was evidently a stinger, as Nat’s left peeper and nose showed the effects of it. Tom immediately led off, got in his left and right on the nose and ribs without a return, and then, closing, threw Langham a back-fall, and fell heavily on him. (5 to 4 offered by an enthusiastic backer of Tom’s.)22.—Hitting over Tom’s guard Nat got well on Tom’s nose, but Sayers returning heavily on the mouth, Nat got back, and fell.23.—Odds of 5 to 4 on Sayers were now freely offered all round the ring, and he certainly seemed to have much the best of it, was full of confidence, and at once opened proceedings by sending in his left heavily on Nat’s ivory-box. The latter tried to get away, but Tom followed him up closely and again landed on the mouth, avoiding the return. Severe counter-hitting followed, in which Sayers again got on to Nat’s mouth, but received on the smeller, and then Langham went to the earth in a decided state of weakness.24.—Sayers, attempting to force the fighting all he could, again led off on Nat’s left cheek, and Nat retaliated on the nose heavily. Tom retreated, and, on going to it again, popped in his right on Nat’s commissariat department. He tried a repetition of this, but napped it severely on the nose for his pains. After some sparring Tom reached Nat’s ribs, and the latter, reaching his own corner, got down.25.—Sayers, first to begin, delivered a little one on Nat’s nose, but the blow wanted steam. Nat retreated, and as Tom followed him, Nat jobbed him on the nozzle, again disturbing the cochineal; and on receiving a little one on the chin Nat dropped.26.—Nat began the attack by a successful endeavour to resume his lead. He got home heavily on Tom’s left cheek, which led to exchanges in favour of Nat, who repeatedly met Tom in the middle of the head. Tom got in one or two on the ribs and chest, and one on Nat’s left peeper, but not heavily. Nat returned on the face, and in retreating slipped down.27.—Langham again made play on Tom’s nose, the cork being drawn. He got in a little one on the ribs in return, and Nat fell, Sayers on him.28.—On coming up Nat led off, but misjudged his distance and was short, the blow falling on Tom’s cheek. Tom sent out his left, but got a very heavy one on his mouth in return. Some heavy exchanges followed, in which Tom got well home on Nat’s cheek, from the effect of which Nat fell.29.—One hour had now elapsed, and still there was no decided lead. Langham was again short in his opening deliveries, and Sayers, after returning on the left cheek, closed and threw his man, falling heavily on him.30.—Nat’s left once more fell short of its destination, when Tom let out his left and caught him on the mouth; Langham returned quickly on the nose, from which once more the ruby trickled. Slight exchanges followed, and Langham fell evidently weak.31.—Sayers led off, caught Nat a heavy cross hit with his left over the left peeper, inflicting a deep cut and drawing the carmine; he in return had his cork drawn by Nat’s left. Some exchanges followed, in the course of which Tom again opened the cut over Nat’s left ogle by a heavy hit from his left, and Nat fell.32.—Another good round. Nat’s left peeper looked the worse for wear, but he came gamely up, and as Tom led off he countered him on the nose. Some exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, who got well on Nat’s left cheek, and received a return on the cheek-bone. They now got to work in earnest, and some ding-dong fighting took place, as if both thought this the turning point of the battle. Each got it heavily on the frontispiece, Sayers re-opening the cut over Nat’s left eye, and receiving one or two awkward reminders on the cheek and nose. A break away followed, and then Langham again went up to his man, who met him onthe left eye another heavy spank. Nat returned on the nozzle, and immediately afterwards received another reminder on the sinister peeper, and fell. This was a capital fighting round, exhibiting the determined resolve of both men.33.—Sayers led off, got home slightly on the throat, and received a heavy one from Nat’s left on the right cheek. Excellent counter-hits followed, Tom on the cheek and Nat on the right peeper, and Nat then got down.34.—Long sparring, Langham evidently wanting wind, and Tom not much better. At last Nat went to work, got well on Tom’s damaged nose with his left, and stopped Tom’s return. Sayers tried again, and succeeded in reaching Nat’s throat, when the latter again fell.35.—Another fighting round. Good counter-hits, each receiving on the left eye. A break away and more counter-hitting, Sayers on the left peeper, and Nat well on the nose. Langham now lunged out his right with great force, but, luckily for Tom, the blow missed its destination, and Nat, overreaching himself, fell.36.—Nat, on coming up, showed his left peeper in deep mourning, and nearly closed; he was evidently weak, and the friends of Sayers were up in the stirrups. Sayers feinted, and let out his left, which reached the damaged optic, re-opening the former wound. Langham was short in his return. Sayers twice got home his left on the throat, but was stopped in the third attempt; he afterwards succeeded in reaching Nat’s left cheek, and the latter, after an ineffectual attempt to return, got down.37.—In spite of the punishment he had received in the previous round, Langham was first up, and he sent out his left, but Tom jumped quickly away, returned heavily on the forehead and ribs, and then fell.38.—Some ineffectual countering, after which Sayers got nearer, and put in a little one on the left eye. Nat retreated, and on being followed by Tom, who delivered straight on the mouth, got down weak.39.—There could be no question as to the gallantry with which both men were fighting, and although appearances were in favour of Sayers, there were not wanting those who saw the danger lying before him, and among these must assuredly be numbered Nat’s clever seconds, under whose directions and advice Langham now seemed to devote himself to land just one blow on Tom’s swollen nose, or on one of his puffy eyes, and then to get down with as little punishment and as little exertion as possible; for it was impossible to conceal Nat’s weakness, and it was decidedly a moot point whether he would be able to hold out until Tom could be forced to “put up the shutters.” Nat tried to lead off, but was stopped. Sayers attempted to return, but Nat sent out his left very straight on the left eye, and on Sayers again coming on, he delivered the same hand on Tom’s damaged smeller, and drew more claret. Tom made his left slightly on the cheek, and Nat at once went to grass.40.—Tom let go his left, got slightly home on the chest, and Nat, after returning with his left on the forehead, fell.41.—Sayers tried to take the lead, but Nat jumped quickly away; Sayers followed him up, when Nat met him with a sharp tap on the left eye, and then another left-hander on the cheek. Sayers persevered until he got home his right on Nat’s ribs, when the latter again got down.42.—Nat led off, caught Tom heavily on the left cheek and then on the brow. He tried to repeat the visitation, when Tom caught him sharply over the right peeper, drawing blood, and Nat got down. Nat’s length and cleverness were conspicuous in his left-hand deliveries.43.—Sayers rushed in, but Nat countered him on the left peeper. Sayers got in his right heavily on the bread-basket, and Nat fell.44.—After a little sparring, the men got close together, and some sharp counter-hits were exchanged, Tom getting well on to Nat’s damaged left peeper, and receiving on the right cheek. Nat now attempted another delivery, but overreached himself and fell.45.—The temporary revival of Langham’s strength seemed at an end. Sayers let go his left, got home on the cheek, and Nat, who was decidedly in “Queer Street,” again went down sick and weak.46.—Nothing done. Nat got down as soon and as easily as he could manage it.47.—Sayers led off, and caught Nat over the left ogle; this led to some counter-hits, in which Langham got home heavily on Tom’s right peeper, which was now pretty nearly closed from the repeated hits on the nose and its exposure to the bright rays of the sun. Langham received a little one on the left cheek in return, and fell.48.—Tom led off, but was countered by Nat on the left eye. In a second attempt Nat stopped him, and then popped him heavily on the nose, drawing more of the ruby. Nat succeeded in planting another heavily on the left peeper, and Tom fell for the first time for many rounds.49.—Things looked by no means so cheerful for Sayers’ backers, for although he was by far the stronger man on his pins, he now came up bleeding from both eyes, his seconds having been compelled to lance them while he was in his corner to prevent his going blind. He dashed in, aware that although much the stronger man on his legs, he must be in total darkness if he did not finish his man soon. Slight exchanges took place, Tom getting it on both eyes slightly, and returning, but without effect, on Nat’s mouth, and in the end Sayers was first down.50.—Sayers once more dashed in but was met by Nat on the left peeper. Tomreturned slightly on the body, and Langham again went to grass, apparently weak.51.—Tom rushed in, delivered his left heavily on the conk, and then his right on the ribs without a return, and Nat dropped.52.—Tom again went to work, caught Langham on the side of his nut; Nat returned on the left peeper, and then slipped down.53.—Tom led off, got home on Langham’s left eye, but the blow lacked force, and Nat fell, Sayers falling over him.54.—Sayers stepped in with his left, but was short; he tried it again, catching Nat on the waistband. Langham attempted a return, but Sayers jumped away. Nat again lunged out, but, overreaching himself, fell.55.—Nat seemed to shake himself together, went up to his man, led off with his left on the right cheek, and got away. Sayers followed him up, when some sharp exchanges took place, Nat reaching Tom’s damaged snout, and once more turning on the tap. Tom returned the compliment on the left cheek, and Langham fell weak, Tom falling over him, not much better off.56.—It was now clear that Tom’s peepers had not many minutes to remain open, and he therefore at once led off, but was out of distance; in a second attempt he caught Nat over the left peeper, but received another hot one on the nose in return. He would not be shaken off, however; he followed Nat and let fly his left on the jaw. Sharp counter-hits followed, Sayers on the mouth and nose, and Nat on the right ogle, and Langham fell.57.—Tom at once rushed in, but was stopped. His next effort reached Nat’s mouth, and the latter got down.58.—Both were nearly pumped out, and it was evident that a chance hit might finish Langham, while Sayers, if he could not deliver that hit, must soon “cut it.” The men let fly simultaneously, each getting it on the frontispiece. A break away followed, after which Tom reached Nat’s left eye, but not effectively. A close, in which Tom caught his man with his right as he went down, and then fell on him.59.—Langham went to his man, delivered his left heavily on the nose, and received a little one on the jaw. He then rushed at Sayers, who stepped back, and Nat, missing his mark, fell.60.—Sayers’s fate was sealed; like Jack Broughton in the memorable account of Captain Godfrey,[25]he might have exclaimed, “I can’t see my man; I’m blind, not beat. Only let me see my man and he shall not gain the day yet!” Tom rushed in open-handed. Nat stepped on one side, met him as he came on the left peeper, and then beside the nose. Tom persevered, but Langham easily avoided him, and then propped him in the mouth heavily. Tom continued to bore in, and got in a round hit on the side of Nat’s head, whereon Nat returned with his left just behind Tom’s ear, and both fell. Sayers evidently all abroad.61 and last.—It was beyond a doubt now that Sayers could not see what he was doing or where he was going, and there were loud cries from his backers of “take him away,” which Alec Keene was anxious to do; but Tom, full of pluck as ever, resolutely refused to give in, and swinging his arms, walked deliberately to the scratch. He lunged out, but could not judge his distance, and Nat, waiting for him coolly until he came again, hit him heavily on the right eye. Poor Tom struck out wildly and altogether at random, and Nat getting out of his way delivered a heavy left-hander on the left eye, which put up the other shutter, and he rather fell than was knocked down. On being helped to his corner, despite his entreaties, Alec Keene, seeing there was no hope, threw up the sponge, and Langham was proclaimed the victor in this truly gallant struggle, after a contest that had been protracted for two hours and two minutes. Immediately the fiat had been pronounced in his favour, Nat walked across the ring to shake hands with his defeated opponent, who shed bitter tears of disappointment and humiliation, while Nat, seeming to acquire fresh strength from the consciousness of victory, contrived to leap over the ropes, although five minutes before he could hardly stand on his legs.Remarks.—Nothing could possibly be farther from our thoughts or wishes than any attempt to detract from the gallant achievements of Nat Langham in thus maintaining his title as middle-weight champion, and also earning a lasting fame as the only man who ever licked Tom Sayers. Still, in fairness to the beaten man, it must be remembered that Sayers was at that time by no means either so good a boxer nor so strong a man as he became a few years later, when he defeated one big man after another. Moreover, his defeat was palpably owing to his want of condition, in consequence of which his face puffed up and his eyes closed with far less punishment than he could otherwise have taken scatheless. But when all allowances have been made, the fact remains, that the gallant Nat did defeat the otherwise invincible Tom, and thus worthily dosed a pugilistic career, which, like Sayers’s, had only once been clouded by defeat. Nothing could be more deserving of the highest praise and warmest admiration than the cool courage and calculating generalship with which, when he found that the superior strength of his adversary was likely to prove too much for him, he at once adopted the only system of tactics likely to serve him, and deliberately set to work to avert defeat by blinding his opponent. How skilfully hecarried this plan into effect we have seen, and it is interesting to remember that Sayers never forgot the lesson he had received, but himself put it into practical effect on the occasion of his fight with Heenan.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—On toeing the scratch the knowing ones eagerly scanned the appearance and condition of the men, in order, if possible, to gain thus some indication of the possible issue of the combat, and a few bets were made at 6 to 4 on Langham. There was a wide contrast between the men, both in appearance and condition; Langham was long and lathy; his frame was evidently that of a man who had seen severe work, and—to all appearance—not likely to last through the wear and tear of long-continued exertion. There was a smile of good-humoured confidence on his mug, however, that showed how little he feared the result of the coming combat, while his condition was simply perfect, and reflected the highest credit on his trainer. Sayers, on the other hand, although he looked—as of old—broad, strong, and burly, was clearly overburdened with flesh—the 5lb.he scaled above his accustomed 10st.7lb.being palpably all to the bad. The breaking out on his chin and face, already alluded to, certainly did not give one the idea of his being in a perfect state of health, and it may well be that to the fact of his not being in his best form may be attributed an anxious look about his eyes, so different to the gay, laughing confidence he exhibited in his other fights. Both men, on taking up position, stood with their legs too wide apart; their guards were neither easy nor graceful, nor was there anything strikingly artistic in their attitudes. They began with a good deal of sparring, and, at length, Langham let go his left, but did not get quite home. Caution was again the order of the day, until Langham once more got within distance, and tried his left a second time, just reaching Tom’s chest. Sayers now tried to draw his man, but Langham was not to be had. Sayers, therefore, approached him, when Langham popped in his left on the cheek, and then the same hand on the nose, and got away. Sayers soon followed him up, and Nat, as he retreated, again sent out his left on the cheek. More sparring now took place, and, at length, counter-hits were exchanged, Nat catching Tom on the chin and drawingfirst bloodfrom a pimple below his mouth. Sayers now bored in, and caught Nat a nasty one on the forehead, from the effects of which Langham went to grass. (First knock-down blowfor Sayers.) Little merit, however, could be attached to it, as the ground was in such a state from the previous day’s rain as to render it difficult for Nat to keep his legs, and the hit rather helped him to grass than fairly sent him there. Having now had an opportunity of judging and comparing the men, the betting settled downto 5 to 4 on Nat, the odds being principally due to Tom’s obviously bad condition, and to the fact that, having lost the toss for choice of corners, he had to fight with the sun in his eyes.
2.—In this round Nat commenced the saving game, which he persisted in throughout the fight, and after planting a tap on the mouth, and receiving on the forehead, slipped down.
3.—Both men ready to the call of time, and Langham led off, but the blow fell short on Tom’s chest. A second attempt was more successful, as he got home a heavy spank on Tom’s snout, from which the ruby was instantly visible. Left-handed counter-hits followed, each getting it slightly on the cheek, and Nat, in getting back again slipped down.
4.—On getting within distance both went to work. Tom made his left on Nat’s cheek, and his right rather heavily on his ribs. Heavy counter-hits followed, in favour of Nat, whose length here gave him the advantage. Tom napped it again severely on the smeller, just between the eyes, and returned on Nat’s side of his head and his short ribs, the latter a sounding right-hander. Langham now retreated, and, as Tom followed him up, pinked him twice in succession with effect on the nozzle, drawing more claret. Sayers returned slightly on the ribs, and again was met by Nat on the mouth and left eye. Sayers continued to persevere, occasionally getting in a little one on Nat’s ribs, but Nat in this round appeared to have it his own way; he propped his man repeatedly on the nose and mouth, and then on the dexter eye. Again and again did Sayers go to it, but Nat jobbed him with it severely on the old spot, and at length finished the round by going down, Sayers walking away, his face brightly crimsoned by Nat’s handiwork.
5.—Nat, on getting his man, let go with his left with great quickness on Tom’s nose, completely over his guard. Sayers then went to in-fighting, and got home his left on the side of Nat’s knowledge-box, and, after a slight rally, both went down. A claim of foul was made, that Sayers had hit Nat while down, but it was not allowed, the men being on the ropes when the blow was delivered.
6.—Tom came up grinning, but his mug was in anything but grinning order. Langham, as usual, led off, but Tom jumped away. Tom now feinted, let go his left on Nat’s jaw, and then repeated the dose without return. Some rattling exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, and in the end Langham fell.
7.—Langham attempted to plant his left, but was out of distance. Two more efforts were frustrated by Tom jumping away. Nat was not to be denied; he went in, and some rattling exchanges took place in favour of Sayers, who got home on Nat’s cheek and ribs with severity, and received one or two on the kissing organ, from which more pink was drawn, and Langham in getting back fell.
8.—Langham dodged his man, and again popped in his left with great quickness over his guard, turning on the tap. Sayers returned slightly on the cheek, and, on trying to improve upon this, was countered heavily on the mouth. This led to some rapid exchanges in favour of Sayers, who got home heavily on the ribs and jaw, and received on the nasal promontory. The round finished by Langham going to earth apparently weak.
9.—Sayers came up with a visible puffiness under both eyes. Langham, as usual, led off on Tom’s mouth. Sayers returned left and right on the canister and ribs, received another little one on the nose, and then lunged out with his right a sounding spank in the side. Langham retreated, and was followed up by Tom, who caught him on the mouth with his left, and Nat, after an ineffectual attempt to return, fell.
10.—Langham stepped back to draw his man, who came for it, and again napped an awkward one on the snout. Sayers tried a return, but was short, and got another smack on the nose for his pains. Counter-hits followed, Nat getting it rather heavily on the left eye, and Tom on the nose. Nat, after placing a little one on the nose, fell on his south pole.
11.—Langham opened the pleadings by another well-delivered spank on the proboscis, from his left, over Tom’s guard. It was wonderful to see how completely Sayers’s index seemed to be within reach of Nat’s straight-darting deliveries. Left-handed exchanges followed, but Sayers appeared to hit short. Langham delivered again with severity on the bridge of the nose, when Sayers made a one, two (the left on the side of the head, and his right on the ribs), and Langham got down on the saving suit.
12.—A pause now took place, and some mutual feinting and dodging, it being “bellows to mend” on each side. Nat at length tried his left, which was prettily stopped. Sayers now went in, made his left and right on the nose and ribs, but not heavily. Langham retaliated on the nose, which led to some slight exchanges, and a close, at the end of which both fell, Langham under.
13.—Sayers attempted to take the lead, but was propped heavily on the snuff-box. He, however, got in his right with severity on the ribs, and then his left on Nat’s cheek. Nat’s returns were rendered abortive by the activity of Tom, who again visited his ribs heavily with his right, and Langham fell, Tom falling over him.
14.—Langham resumed his lead, and got well on to Tom’s damaged nose and mouth. Sayers’s nose and cheeks puffing visibly, to the great danger of his clear sight for attack or defence. Tom countered him heavily oncheek and ribs, and Langham fell, Tom on him.
15.—Sayers went to his man, planted his left on the side of Nat’s brain-pan. Langham returned on the neck with his right, a round hit, and fell in getting away.
16.—Nat sent in his left, over Tom’s guard, upon his nose heavily, and again turned on the main. Good counters followed, Nat on the nose, and Tom on the neck heavily. Exchanges, in which Tom got on to Nat’s left cheek, and Langham got down, Sayers falling over him.
17.—Langham was short in two attempts with his left, and a third was stopped, when Sayers dashed out his left, getting home on the ribs. Langham returned with good effect on the nose, and both fell.
18.—Long sparring until Nat let fly his left on the old spot. Tom made his right on the ribs, but again got a nasty crack on the side of his cranium, and Langham got down.
19.—Nat was again short in his lead. Tom was more successful, got home his right on the ribs, and Nat was again down.
20.—This was a good round on both sides. After a little sparring Langham tried his left, but Tom jumped well away. In a second attempt Nat got slightly home on the chest, and then on the nose. Sayers countered him on the mouth, and then some exchanges took place, in which Nat hit the straightest, Tom’s blows appearing to be open-handed. Sayers now went in, but got it heavily on the nose from Nat, who fought on the retreat. Tom followed him up, got well home on the jaw, and then on the nose and left eye, knocking Langham clean off his legs. (A fair knock-down blow.)
21.—Tho last blow delivered by Sayers was evidently a stinger, as Nat’s left peeper and nose showed the effects of it. Tom immediately led off, got in his left and right on the nose and ribs without a return, and then, closing, threw Langham a back-fall, and fell heavily on him. (5 to 4 offered by an enthusiastic backer of Tom’s.)
22.—Hitting over Tom’s guard Nat got well on Tom’s nose, but Sayers returning heavily on the mouth, Nat got back, and fell.
23.—Odds of 5 to 4 on Sayers were now freely offered all round the ring, and he certainly seemed to have much the best of it, was full of confidence, and at once opened proceedings by sending in his left heavily on Nat’s ivory-box. The latter tried to get away, but Tom followed him up closely and again landed on the mouth, avoiding the return. Severe counter-hitting followed, in which Sayers again got on to Nat’s mouth, but received on the smeller, and then Langham went to the earth in a decided state of weakness.
24.—Sayers, attempting to force the fighting all he could, again led off on Nat’s left cheek, and Nat retaliated on the nose heavily. Tom retreated, and, on going to it again, popped in his right on Nat’s commissariat department. He tried a repetition of this, but napped it severely on the nose for his pains. After some sparring Tom reached Nat’s ribs, and the latter, reaching his own corner, got down.
25.—Sayers, first to begin, delivered a little one on Nat’s nose, but the blow wanted steam. Nat retreated, and as Tom followed him, Nat jobbed him on the nozzle, again disturbing the cochineal; and on receiving a little one on the chin Nat dropped.
26.—Nat began the attack by a successful endeavour to resume his lead. He got home heavily on Tom’s left cheek, which led to exchanges in favour of Nat, who repeatedly met Tom in the middle of the head. Tom got in one or two on the ribs and chest, and one on Nat’s left peeper, but not heavily. Nat returned on the face, and in retreating slipped down.
27.—Langham again made play on Tom’s nose, the cork being drawn. He got in a little one on the ribs in return, and Nat fell, Sayers on him.
28.—On coming up Nat led off, but misjudged his distance and was short, the blow falling on Tom’s cheek. Tom sent out his left, but got a very heavy one on his mouth in return. Some heavy exchanges followed, in which Tom got well home on Nat’s cheek, from the effect of which Nat fell.
29.—One hour had now elapsed, and still there was no decided lead. Langham was again short in his opening deliveries, and Sayers, after returning on the left cheek, closed and threw his man, falling heavily on him.
30.—Nat’s left once more fell short of its destination, when Tom let out his left and caught him on the mouth; Langham returned quickly on the nose, from which once more the ruby trickled. Slight exchanges followed, and Langham fell evidently weak.
31.—Sayers led off, caught Nat a heavy cross hit with his left over the left peeper, inflicting a deep cut and drawing the carmine; he in return had his cork drawn by Nat’s left. Some exchanges followed, in the course of which Tom again opened the cut over Nat’s left ogle by a heavy hit from his left, and Nat fell.
32.—Another good round. Nat’s left peeper looked the worse for wear, but he came gamely up, and as Tom led off he countered him on the nose. Some exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, who got well on Nat’s left cheek, and received a return on the cheek-bone. They now got to work in earnest, and some ding-dong fighting took place, as if both thought this the turning point of the battle. Each got it heavily on the frontispiece, Sayers re-opening the cut over Nat’s left eye, and receiving one or two awkward reminders on the cheek and nose. A break away followed, and then Langham again went up to his man, who met him onthe left eye another heavy spank. Nat returned on the nozzle, and immediately afterwards received another reminder on the sinister peeper, and fell. This was a capital fighting round, exhibiting the determined resolve of both men.
33.—Sayers led off, got home slightly on the throat, and received a heavy one from Nat’s left on the right cheek. Excellent counter-hits followed, Tom on the cheek and Nat on the right peeper, and Nat then got down.
34.—Long sparring, Langham evidently wanting wind, and Tom not much better. At last Nat went to work, got well on Tom’s damaged nose with his left, and stopped Tom’s return. Sayers tried again, and succeeded in reaching Nat’s throat, when the latter again fell.
35.—Another fighting round. Good counter-hits, each receiving on the left eye. A break away and more counter-hitting, Sayers on the left peeper, and Nat well on the nose. Langham now lunged out his right with great force, but, luckily for Tom, the blow missed its destination, and Nat, overreaching himself, fell.
36.—Nat, on coming up, showed his left peeper in deep mourning, and nearly closed; he was evidently weak, and the friends of Sayers were up in the stirrups. Sayers feinted, and let out his left, which reached the damaged optic, re-opening the former wound. Langham was short in his return. Sayers twice got home his left on the throat, but was stopped in the third attempt; he afterwards succeeded in reaching Nat’s left cheek, and the latter, after an ineffectual attempt to return, got down.
37.—In spite of the punishment he had received in the previous round, Langham was first up, and he sent out his left, but Tom jumped quickly away, returned heavily on the forehead and ribs, and then fell.
38.—Some ineffectual countering, after which Sayers got nearer, and put in a little one on the left eye. Nat retreated, and on being followed by Tom, who delivered straight on the mouth, got down weak.
39.—There could be no question as to the gallantry with which both men were fighting, and although appearances were in favour of Sayers, there were not wanting those who saw the danger lying before him, and among these must assuredly be numbered Nat’s clever seconds, under whose directions and advice Langham now seemed to devote himself to land just one blow on Tom’s swollen nose, or on one of his puffy eyes, and then to get down with as little punishment and as little exertion as possible; for it was impossible to conceal Nat’s weakness, and it was decidedly a moot point whether he would be able to hold out until Tom could be forced to “put up the shutters.” Nat tried to lead off, but was stopped. Sayers attempted to return, but Nat sent out his left very straight on the left eye, and on Sayers again coming on, he delivered the same hand on Tom’s damaged smeller, and drew more claret. Tom made his left slightly on the cheek, and Nat at once went to grass.
40.—Tom let go his left, got slightly home on the chest, and Nat, after returning with his left on the forehead, fell.
41.—Sayers tried to take the lead, but Nat jumped quickly away; Sayers followed him up, when Nat met him with a sharp tap on the left eye, and then another left-hander on the cheek. Sayers persevered until he got home his right on Nat’s ribs, when the latter again got down.
42.—Nat led off, caught Tom heavily on the left cheek and then on the brow. He tried to repeat the visitation, when Tom caught him sharply over the right peeper, drawing blood, and Nat got down. Nat’s length and cleverness were conspicuous in his left-hand deliveries.
43.—Sayers rushed in, but Nat countered him on the left peeper. Sayers got in his right heavily on the bread-basket, and Nat fell.
44.—After a little sparring, the men got close together, and some sharp counter-hits were exchanged, Tom getting well on to Nat’s damaged left peeper, and receiving on the right cheek. Nat now attempted another delivery, but overreached himself and fell.
45.—The temporary revival of Langham’s strength seemed at an end. Sayers let go his left, got home on the cheek, and Nat, who was decidedly in “Queer Street,” again went down sick and weak.
46.—Nothing done. Nat got down as soon and as easily as he could manage it.
47.—Sayers led off, and caught Nat over the left ogle; this led to some counter-hits, in which Langham got home heavily on Tom’s right peeper, which was now pretty nearly closed from the repeated hits on the nose and its exposure to the bright rays of the sun. Langham received a little one on the left cheek in return, and fell.
48.—Tom led off, but was countered by Nat on the left eye. In a second attempt Nat stopped him, and then popped him heavily on the nose, drawing more of the ruby. Nat succeeded in planting another heavily on the left peeper, and Tom fell for the first time for many rounds.
49.—Things looked by no means so cheerful for Sayers’ backers, for although he was by far the stronger man on his pins, he now came up bleeding from both eyes, his seconds having been compelled to lance them while he was in his corner to prevent his going blind. He dashed in, aware that although much the stronger man on his legs, he must be in total darkness if he did not finish his man soon. Slight exchanges took place, Tom getting it on both eyes slightly, and returning, but without effect, on Nat’s mouth, and in the end Sayers was first down.
50.—Sayers once more dashed in but was met by Nat on the left peeper. Tomreturned slightly on the body, and Langham again went to grass, apparently weak.
51.—Tom rushed in, delivered his left heavily on the conk, and then his right on the ribs without a return, and Nat dropped.
52.—Tom again went to work, caught Langham on the side of his nut; Nat returned on the left peeper, and then slipped down.
53.—Tom led off, got home on Langham’s left eye, but the blow lacked force, and Nat fell, Sayers falling over him.
54.—Sayers stepped in with his left, but was short; he tried it again, catching Nat on the waistband. Langham attempted a return, but Sayers jumped away. Nat again lunged out, but, overreaching himself, fell.
55.—Nat seemed to shake himself together, went up to his man, led off with his left on the right cheek, and got away. Sayers followed him up, when some sharp exchanges took place, Nat reaching Tom’s damaged snout, and once more turning on the tap. Tom returned the compliment on the left cheek, and Langham fell weak, Tom falling over him, not much better off.
56.—It was now clear that Tom’s peepers had not many minutes to remain open, and he therefore at once led off, but was out of distance; in a second attempt he caught Nat over the left peeper, but received another hot one on the nose in return. He would not be shaken off, however; he followed Nat and let fly his left on the jaw. Sharp counter-hits followed, Sayers on the mouth and nose, and Nat on the right ogle, and Langham fell.
57.—Tom at once rushed in, but was stopped. His next effort reached Nat’s mouth, and the latter got down.
58.—Both were nearly pumped out, and it was evident that a chance hit might finish Langham, while Sayers, if he could not deliver that hit, must soon “cut it.” The men let fly simultaneously, each getting it on the frontispiece. A break away followed, after which Tom reached Nat’s left eye, but not effectively. A close, in which Tom caught his man with his right as he went down, and then fell on him.
59.—Langham went to his man, delivered his left heavily on the nose, and received a little one on the jaw. He then rushed at Sayers, who stepped back, and Nat, missing his mark, fell.
60.—Sayers’s fate was sealed; like Jack Broughton in the memorable account of Captain Godfrey,[25]he might have exclaimed, “I can’t see my man; I’m blind, not beat. Only let me see my man and he shall not gain the day yet!” Tom rushed in open-handed. Nat stepped on one side, met him as he came on the left peeper, and then beside the nose. Tom persevered, but Langham easily avoided him, and then propped him in the mouth heavily. Tom continued to bore in, and got in a round hit on the side of Nat’s head, whereon Nat returned with his left just behind Tom’s ear, and both fell. Sayers evidently all abroad.
61 and last.—It was beyond a doubt now that Sayers could not see what he was doing or where he was going, and there were loud cries from his backers of “take him away,” which Alec Keene was anxious to do; but Tom, full of pluck as ever, resolutely refused to give in, and swinging his arms, walked deliberately to the scratch. He lunged out, but could not judge his distance, and Nat, waiting for him coolly until he came again, hit him heavily on the right eye. Poor Tom struck out wildly and altogether at random, and Nat getting out of his way delivered a heavy left-hander on the left eye, which put up the other shutter, and he rather fell than was knocked down. On being helped to his corner, despite his entreaties, Alec Keene, seeing there was no hope, threw up the sponge, and Langham was proclaimed the victor in this truly gallant struggle, after a contest that had been protracted for two hours and two minutes. Immediately the fiat had been pronounced in his favour, Nat walked across the ring to shake hands with his defeated opponent, who shed bitter tears of disappointment and humiliation, while Nat, seeming to acquire fresh strength from the consciousness of victory, contrived to leap over the ropes, although five minutes before he could hardly stand on his legs.
Remarks.—Nothing could possibly be farther from our thoughts or wishes than any attempt to detract from the gallant achievements of Nat Langham in thus maintaining his title as middle-weight champion, and also earning a lasting fame as the only man who ever licked Tom Sayers. Still, in fairness to the beaten man, it must be remembered that Sayers was at that time by no means either so good a boxer nor so strong a man as he became a few years later, when he defeated one big man after another. Moreover, his defeat was palpably owing to his want of condition, in consequence of which his face puffed up and his eyes closed with far less punishment than he could otherwise have taken scatheless. But when all allowances have been made, the fact remains, that the gallant Nat did defeat the otherwise invincible Tom, and thus worthily dosed a pugilistic career, which, like Sayers’s, had only once been clouded by defeat. Nothing could be more deserving of the highest praise and warmest admiration than the cool courage and calculating generalship with which, when he found that the superior strength of his adversary was likely to prove too much for him, he at once adopted the only system of tactics likely to serve him, and deliberately set to work to avert defeat by blinding his opponent. How skilfully hecarried this plan into effect we have seen, and it is interesting to remember that Sayers never forgot the lesson he had received, but himself put it into practical effect on the occasion of his fight with Heenan.
Sayers’s gallant stand was duly appreciated by his friends, and upwards of fifty pounds were collected for him in the train during the homeward journey. Immediately he had recovered his eyesight Tom challenged Langham to another trial of skill, but Nat announced his retirement from the Ring; and, further, his opening of the “Cambrian Stores,” Castle Street, Leicester Square, where he decorated a showy lamp, bearing his name and the inscription, “Champion of the Middle-weights.” At this period our hero developed into a publican; for your successful pugilist is a publican in chrysalis, so sure as a caddis shall become a May-fly in due season. Sayers, however, had also become the landlord of the “Bricklayers’ Arms,” in his favourite locality of Camden Town, and demurred to Nat’s lamp and inscription. “Here am I,” said he, “ready for all comers, Nat Langham included. He has been beaten by Harry Orme, who has retired, and I have been beaten by him. As I do not believe myself conquered on my merits, but by inferior condition, I claim the Championship of the Middle-weights.”
The introduction of Harry Orme’s name is irrelevant, as Orme, Aaron Jones (12 stone), Tom Paddock (12 stone), Harry Broome (12 stone), claimed and fought for the actual and unlimited “Championship,” during the interregnum closed by Tom Sayers’s successive disposal of Aaron Jones, Bill Perry (the Tipton Slasher), 13 stone, Bill Benjamin (Bainge), 12 stone, and Tom Paddock. Quitting this point, however, Nat’s reply was conclusive. He had espoused the niece of Ben Caunt, had settled down, and did not see why he should risk all these “hostages given to fortune,” by trusting what Captain Godfrey calls in his sketch of Broughton, “a battle to a waning age.” Langham’s health, too, never robust, was by no means A 1, and he prudently preferred leaving off a winner, as disposing of such a boxer as Tom Sayers was by no means what betting men would call a “safe thing.” He, therefore, in a brief epistle declined Tom’s cartel, and told him he might paint his lamp at the “Bricklayers’ Arms” in any way he chose; meantime that he, Langham, had won the title of Middle-weight Champion and meant to wear it, and certainly should not transfer it from Castle Street to Camden Town; and there the controversy closed.
We should here close the history of Nat Langham’s career in theP.R.but for the regrettable incident of his rescinding his commendable resolution of retirement four years later, in 1857, in the September of which year, owing to some domestic jars with his relative and neighbour, “Big Ben,” the ill-assorted pair met in battle array to decide their fistic merits, also who should forfeit a stake of £100 to the other, and to settle a family feud in which the public could not feel the slightest possible interest. How they did not achieve either of these three results will be found fully set forth in our account of their drawn-battle, in the Life ofCaunt, in ChapterII.of the present volume.
Langham, in his later years, was host of the “Mitre” tavern inSt.Martin’s Lane, and died at the “Cambrian,” Castle Street, Leicester Square, September 1st, 1871.
[24]Harry Brunton still flourishes (June, 1881), it cannot be said in a “greenold age,” at the “Nag’s Head,” Wood Green, a handy house of call in the Green Lanes, near the Alexandra Palace.
[25]SeePugilistica,vol. i.,p.28.