“That’s as it may be, guv’nor,” said the half-drunken ruffian, staggering to his feet. “If I’ve said anything wot isn’t genelmanlike—”
“Sit down, Berks!” cried my uncle, with such a tone of command that the fellow collapsed into his chair.
“Vy, vitch of you would look Tom Slack in the face?” piped the old fellow; “or Jack Broughton?—him vot told the old Dook of Cumberland that all he vanted vas to fight the King o’ Proosia’s guard, day by day, year in, year out, until ’e ’ad worked out the whole regiment of ’em—and the smallest of ’em six foot long. There’s not more’n a few of you could ’it a dint in a pat o’ butter, and if you gets a smack or two it’s all over vith you. Vich among you could get up again after such a vipe as the Eytalian Gondoleery cove gave to Bob Vittaker?”
“What was that, Buckhorse?” cried several voices.
“’E came over ’ere from voreign parts, and ’e was so broad ’e ’ad to come edgewise through the doors. ’E ’ad so, upon my davy! ’E was that strong that wherever ’e ’it the bone had got to go; and when ’e’d cracked a jaw or two it looked as though nothing in the country could stan’ against him. So the King ’e sent one of his genelmen down to Figg and he said to him: ‘’Ere’s a cove vot cracks a bone every time ’e lets vly, and it’ll be little credit to the Lunnon boys if they lets ’im get avay vithout a vacking.’ So Figg he ups, and he says, ‘I do not know, master, but he may break one of ’is countrymen’s jawbones vid ’is vist, but I’ll bring ’im a Cockney lad and ’e shall not be able to break ’is jawbone with a sledge ’ammer.’ I was with Figg in Slaughter’s coffee-’ouse, as then vas, ven ’e says this to the King’s genelman, and I goes so, I does!” Again he emitted the curious bell-like cry, and again the Corinthians and the fighting-men laughed and applauded him.
“His Royal Highness—that is, the Earl of Chester—would be glad to hear the end of your story, Buckhorse,” said my uncle, to whom the Prince had been whispering.
“Vell, your R’yal ’Ighness, it vas like this. Ven the day came round, all the volk came to Figg’s Amphitheatre, the same that vos in Tottenham Court, an’ Bob Vittaker ’e vos there, and the Eytalian Gondoleery cove ’e vas there, and all the purlitest, genteelest crowd that ever vos, twenty thousand of ’em, all sittin’ with their ’eads like purtaties on a barrer, banked right up round the stage, and me there to pick up Bob, d’ye see, and Jack Figg ’imself just for fair play to do vot was right by the cove from voreign parts. They vas packed all round, the folks was, but down through the middle of ’em was a passage just so as the gentry could come through to their seats, and the stage it vas of wood, as the custom then vas, and a man’s ’eight above the ’eads of the people. Vell, then, ven Bob was put up opposite this great Eytalian man I says ‘Slap ’im in the vind, Bob,’ ’cos I could see vid ’alf an eye that he vas as puffy as a cheesecake; so Bob he goes in, and as he comes the vorriner let ’im ’ave it amazin’ on the conk. I ’eard the thump of it, and I kind o’ velt somethin’ vistle past me, but ven I looked there vas the Eytalian a feelin’ of ’is muscles in the middle o’ the stage, and as to Bob, there vern’t no sign’ of ’im at all no more’n if ’e’d never been.”
His audience was riveted by the old prize-fighter’s story. “Well,” cried a dozen voices, “what then, Buckhorse: ’ad ’e swallowed ’im, or what?”
“Yell, boys, that vas vat I wondered, when sudden I seed two legs a-stickin’ up out o’ the crowd a long vay off, just like these two vingers, d’ye see, and I knewed they vas Bob’s legs, seein’ that ’e ’ad kind o’ yellow small clothes vid blue ribbons—vich blue vas ’is colour—at the knee. So they up-ended ’im, they did, an’ they made a lane for ’im an’ cheered ’im to give ’im ’eart, though ’e never lacked for that. At virst ’e vas that dazed that ’e didn’t know if ’e vas in church or in ’Orsemonger Gaol; but ven I’d bit ’is two ears ’e shook ’isself together. ‘Ve’ll try it again, Buck,’ says ’e. ‘The mark!’ says I. And ’e vinked all that vas left o’ one eye. So the Eytalian ’e lets swing again, but Bob ’e jumps inside an’ ’e lets ’im ’ave it plumb square on the meat safe as ’ard as ever the Lord would let ’im put it in.”
“Well? Well?”