25.—Burn was piping, and almost abroad; but Belcher was on the alert to keep Jem at his work. (“Be ready, my dear boy,” cried Tom; “hit with him, he’s coming.” “Yes,” replied the John Bull Fighter, “Ned is coming, and your man will soon be going—or rather, like the auctioneer, gone!”) Neale received a facer which produced the claret; but he returned the favour with interest, and Jem was again sent down.
26.—Jem now tried desperate fighting, hitting away in all directions; but Ned was too leary. The latter boxer got a stopper on the nob; but Jem was again down. (“You must admit, gents,” observed the elegant Holt, “that Jem is a down-y one; he has been down almost to the end of the chapter. The finish is also near at hand. I’ll bet any odds.”)
27, 28, 29, 30.—In all of these rounds the lead and punishment were decidedly in favour of Neale, and Jem was sent down in every one of them.
31.—Jem showed fight, and planted a facer; but it was too slight to do anything like damage to Neale. The latter followed Jem all over the ring, until he sent him down. (Tom Cannon, by way of raising the spirits of Burn, said, “He can never lick you, Jem.” “Yes,” replied Ned, “and you afterwards, and no mistake; and I’ll try it, if you like.”)
32, 33, 34, 35, 36.—It is true that in some of these rounds Jem planted facers which produced the claret, but he could not turn a single round in his favour. Ned was continually administering punishment, and Jem was down in all of these rounds. (“Take him away!”)
37.—Jem was cruelly distressed, but he would not say “no,” and showed fight at the scratch. He napped lots of milling in a rally, and went down as heavy as lead. (“Take him away! he’s of no use!”)
38.—Down, and no return; so much did Neale show his superiority over Jem.
39.—Of the same class; he appeared at the scratch only to be milled down. (“It’s a shame to bring him up! Take him home, Belcher!”)
40.—Burn, almost as a forlorn hope, went to work with more spirit than could have been expected from his exhausted state, and planted several hits in better style than in most of the preceding rounds; but this exertion was now too late, and he was milled down flat on his face. (The cries were extremely loud: “Take him away; you’ll be lagged else.” “Why don’t you listen to the advice of your friends,” said Josh, “if you wish to prevent serious consequences to yourselves?”)
41.—It was all the cash in the Bank to a ninepence that Jem must lose it; in fact, his backers and seconds ought to have had him taken out of the ring. Jem down, with his face on the earth.