up Bob, d’ye see, and Jack Figg ’imself just for fair play to do vot was right by the cove from voreign parts.  They vas packed all round, the folks was, but down through the middle of ’em was a passage just so as the gentry could come through to their seats, and the stage it vas of wood, as the custom then vas, and a man’s ’eight above the ’eads of the people.  Vell, then, ven Bob was put up opposite this great Eytalian man I says ’Slap ’im in the vind, Bob,’ ’cos I could see vid ’alf an eye that he vas as puffy as a cheesecake; so Bob he goes in, and as he comes the vorriner let ’im ‘ave it amazin’ on the conk.  I ’eard the thump of it, and I kind o’ velt somethin’ vistle past me, but ven I looked there vas the Eytalian a feelin’ of ‘is muscles in the middle o’ the stage, and as to Bob, there vern’t no sign’ of ’im at all no more’n if ’e’d never been.”

His audience was riveted by the old prize-fighter’s story.  “Well,” cried a dozen voices, “what then, Buckhorse:  ’ad ’e swallowed ’im, or what?”

“Yell, boys, that vas vat I wondered, when sudden I seed two legs a-stickin’ up out o’ the crowd a long vay off, just like these two vingers, d’ye see, and I knewed they vas Bob’s legs, seein’ that ’e ‘ad kind o’ yellow small clothes vid blue ribbons—­vich blue vas ’is colour—­at the knee.  So they up-ended ‘im, they did, an’ they made a lane for ‘im an’ cheered ’im to give ’im ’eart, though ’e never lacked for that.  At virst ’e vas that dazed that ’e didn’t know if ’e vas in church or in ’Orsemonger Gaol; but ven I’d bit ’is two ears ’e shook ’isself together.  ‘Ve’ll try it again, Buck,’ says ’e.  ‘The mark!’ says I. And ‘e vinked all that vas left o’ one eye.  So the Eytalian ’e lets swing again, but Bob ’e jumps inside an’ ’e lets ’im ’ave it plumb square on the meat safe as ’ard as ever the Lord would let ’im put it in.”

“Well?  Well?”

“Vell, the Eytalian ‘e got a touch of the gurgles, an’ ’e shut ’imself right up like a two-foot rule.  Then ’e pulled ’imself straight, an’ ’e gave the most awful Glory Allelujah screech as ever you ’eard.  Off ‘e jumps from the stage an’ down the passage as ’ard as ’is ’oofs would carry ’im.  Up jumps the ’ole crowd, and after ’im as ‘ard as they could move for laughin’.  They vas lyin’ in the kennel three deep all down Tottenham Court road wid their ’ands to their sides just vit to break themselves in two.  Vell, ve chased ’im down ‘Olburn, an’ down Fleet Street, an’ down Cheapside, an’ past the ‘Change, and on all the vay to Voppin’ an’ we only catched ‘im in the shippin’ office, vere ‘e vas askin’ ’ow soon ’e could get a passage to voreign parts.”