Sporting notions of present days and past

BOXING 29
to raid the place because their man was getting
the worst of it. Not infrequently both parties
would guard against defeat by laying on discreet
constables properly informed as to what would
be required of them in passive or active pursuit
of the duty they were paid for. Again, provision
must be made so that uninvited guests could drop
through a roof or, apparently spring up out of
the floor, and sufficient camping ground reserved
to array the strong mobs of sympathisers in
waiting to rush the ring to order and cope
with the opposition brigade held in reserve for
like object, or to repel the enemy's attacks,
as circumstances required. Any stage or ring
would serve for "presenting" assaults accom-
plished or threatening violent death for the
referee. The ardent partisans who filled the
office of seconds might safely be left to go for
each other, be the space at command never so
narrowly limited, because they could chew and
knee and gouge with no greater scope for
action than an egg-chest.
So far as I recollect, the West London Rowing
Club originated the first amateur Boxing club. I
had the honour of voting to that effect. We
gathered—what a fine lot there were of all-
rounders, and what a terrible number of those
present at the Star and
Garter-44,
Pall Mall, we
used to put on the note-paper, because the
address so defined read better--would be missed
now if the roll were called! Old Jack Tyler,
hero of a thousand pretty and appropriate sport-
ing speeches, was in the chair; the night—I
believe that was the particular night—was awfully
foggy; Latch Hall—very useful in a bout with the
the mittens or fists—was one of the attendance