14.—Caunt led off, and caught Nick on the side of his head with his left, and repeated the dose on the opposite side with his right. Nick popped in a touch with his left on Caunt’s nasal promontory—Caunt missed a terrific hit with his right, and Nick went on his knees to avoid punishment.
15.—Caunt, who was now evidently provoked by the cowardly game of Ward in getting down in every round, the moment he came to the scratch rushed to him, and endeavoured to get him within his grasp in such a way as to be enabled to fall with him. Unluckily, however, instead of catching him round the body he caught him round the neck, and, in this manner, lifting him off the ground, for a short time held him suspended. He then let him go, but did not succeed in giving him the scrunch he contemplated. Instead of this, he hit the back of his own head against the stakes, and incurred an ugly concussion.
16.—Caunt came up full of life and frolic, and was first at the scratch. Nick made play with his left, but Caunt stopped and got away. Caunt hit short with his right, and after a short pause right-hand hits were exchanged—Nick at the head, Caunt at the body. Caunt immediately closed, and caught Nick’s pimple under his arm, but Nick slipped down, and looked up as if expecting to be hit.
17.—Trifling exchanges, when Nick again provokingly slipped on his knees.
18.—Caunt led off, planted his left slightly, and Nick down on his knees. Caunt looked at him derisively and laughed, exclaiming, “It won’t do to-day, Nick.”
19.—Caunt still fresh as a four-year-old, and first to the scratch, Nick evidently fearful of approaching too near. Caunt made a feint, with his left, and then delivered a tremendous round right-handed blow on the base of Ward’s ribs; the blow was too high, or it might have told fearfully. Nick let go his left, and Caunt jumped back, but again coming to the charge Ward retreated. Caunt following him up again seized him with a Herculean grip round the neck, lifted him clean off the ground, and then fell squash upon him.
20.—Some tolerably good exchanges, in which Nick hit straightest, but immediately went down—Caunt pointing at him with contempt.
21.—Nick tried his left and right, but missed, his timidity evidently preventing his getting sufficiently near to his man. Caunt again seized him, lifted him up, and fell upon him, but lightly.
22.—Caunt hit short at the body with his right, and tried his left, which was stopped. Counter-hits with the right, ditto with the left, when Nick went down.
23.—Ward planted his left heavily on Caunt’s mug, and opened his previous wounds; this he followed with a touch from his right on the ear. Caunt rushed wildly to the charge, but Nick, as usual, tumbled, this time rolling over away from Caunt.