22.—Mason somewhat slow to the scratch, across which Broome stepped, and led off left and right. Bully let fly wildly left and right, when Broome once more closed, flung him across the ropes, and squeezed him as if his neck were in a vice, amidst repeated shouts of disapprobation. Jack Sheppard, urged by the impatience of some of Mason’s friends, ran with a knife to cut the ropes, but luckily his man slipped down, and thereby prevented an act which would have been highly imprudent, inasmuch as the ring would have thereby been destroyed; and however unseemly such a style of fighting might appear, it was not inconsistent with any fixed rule of the Ring.
23.—Broome delivered a heavy hit with his left on Mason’s body; Mason short in the return, and, after some wild exchanges, Bully dropped on his knees.
24.—Counter-hitting with the left; a close, and, after some slight fibbing, Mason again dropped on his knees.
25.—Mason stopped Broome’s left, rushed to in-fighting left and right, then, missing his upper cut, got down.
26.—Mason’s left eye all but gone, and Broome’s mug showing sundry marks of severe deliveries. A desperate rally, both having made up their minds to mischief. Heavy exchanges left and right, followed by a close at the ropes, at which Mason once more dropped on one knee, but Broome still refrained from hitting.
27.—Counter-hits with the left, Broome catching it heavily on the nose. A slashing rally, in which heavy right-handed hits were exchanged till Mason fell on his knees, both bleeding profusely.
28.—Both men cautious. Broome in with his left, and Mason short in his return. Heavy counter-hitting. Bully receiving a finishing smack from the right on his left eye, which was completely closed. Broome grappled for the fall, seized Mason by the neck, and hung upon him until he brought him down upon his nose.
29.—Counter-hits with the left, followed by a close, in which Mason attempted to get down, but Broome held him by the neck under his arm, and tried to lift him from the ropes, until he fell, amidst shouts of disapprobation.
30.—Mason led off short, when Broome steadied himself and popped in a terrific hit with his left on the cheek. Counter-hits left and right followed, Mason fighting wildly. In the close Broome again hung on his man till he extricated himself from his painful position, and in getting away Broome fell heavily upon him.
31.—Mason getting slower. Counter-hitting with the left and exchanges with the right, in which Bully delivered heavily. In the close Mason dropped on his knees.