53.—Paddock kept working in, and twice reached Harry’s eye and brow without a return. As they got closer there were some sharp exchanges, Poulson getting home a heavy hit on Paddock’s left eye, and also on his bruised ribs; Poulson was, however, down.
54.—Paddock several times attempted to get in his favourite blow on the mark, but he was not quite near enough; at last he got home effectively, and Poulson reeled from the blow; Paddock followed him up, caught him on the head with the right, and Poulson was down.
55 to 60.—Poulson’s right eye seemed to be in danger of following suit with the left. He evidently thought there was no time to be lost, and as Paddock would not come to close quarters, he rattled in somewhat wild and round, and in the 59th and 60th rounds was down.
61.—Both came tired and slow, with but little to choose as to which was the weaker man. Paddock caught Poulson in the neck, changing his aim to the body, then caught Poulson on the proboscis, who closed and fell.
62 to 65.—Paddock commenced business in each of these rounds; in the last-named Paddock delivered a spank with the left under Poulson’s right eye which knocked the brave fellow off his legs, and was pronounced to be “First knock-down to Paddock.” There was loud cheering, and many thought the fight over, concluding that Poulson’s right eye must now be closed. To the surprise of all, however, Harry came up at the call of “Time,” looking little, if any, the worse for the knock-down.
66, 67.—Poulson steadily stopped two attempts with the left. Paddock at length got in a blow on the mark, and Poulson missed his return. Paddock hit over Poulson’s head with the left, and Poulson closed and fell.
68.—Both slow; after some ineffective exchanges Paddock concentrated his energies, and, letting go his left straight from the shoulder, gave poor Poulson a nose-ender that again knocked him off his legs.
69 to 75.—Poulson, losing precision in his deliveries from his failing eyesight, was nobbed almost at pleasure by his opponent, yet he never failed to get in a hard blow when they were at close quarters.
76 to 88.—In all these rounds Poulson came up with unshrinking courage and determination, and his friends clung to the idea that a chance blow might yet reward his exertions, while Paddock’s friends, though they thought themselves on the winning side, feared that he could not finish his day’s work satisfactorily, and that a “draw” might yet disappoint their hopes. Round after round Poulson came up, amid cries of “Take him away!” But the brave fellow refused to give in.
89.—Poulson, to the astonishment of all, was no sooner at the scratch, than he rushed at his opponent with such vigour and determination, pegging away right and left, that Paddock, in retreating, fell on his south pole in a ludicrous state of surprise and bewilderment at this unexpected but ineffective onslaught.