Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-28

she's not d patron Of sport, and that's a
fact said the smith.
SPORT she cried, with shrill contempt
and anger. Tell me when all Is over"
She hurried away. and | saw her afterward
seated among the lbracken. her back turned
toward the multitude and her hands over her
ears, covering ana wincing in an agony Of
While this hurried scene had been taking
place the crowd had become more and more
tumultuous. partly from their Impotence at
the delay and partly from their eXuberant
spirits at the unexpected chance of seeing so
celebrated a fighting man as Harrison. His
identity had already been noised abroad, and
many an elderly lconnoisseur pluckcd his
long net pursU out of his fob in order to
put a few guineGsfupon the man who would
represent the school of the past against the
present. The younger men were still in
favor Of the west country man, and small
odds were to be had either way in proper
tion to the number of the supporters of each
in the different parts of the crowd.
In the meantime sir Lothian Hume had
come busting up to the Hon. Berkeley
Craven. who was still standing near our
Curricle.
81 beg to lodge a formal protest against
these proceedings" said he.
"On what grounds, sir?"
Because the man produced is not the
original nominee OF Sir Charles Tregellis. b"
II never named one, as you are well
aware said my uncle.
THE betting has all been upon the un-
derstanding that young Jim Harrison was
my mans opponent. Now at the last mo-
ment he Is withdrawn and another and
more formidable man put into his place.
Sir Charles Tregellis is quite within
his rights said Craven firmly. He under
took to produce a man who should be within
the age limits stipulated, and | understand
that Harrison iulfils all the conditions,
You are over five and thirty, Harrison?'
"Forty-one next month, MASTER
Very good. | direct that the fight pro-
ceed.'
But alas, there was one authority which
was higher even than that of the referee,
and we were destined to an experience which
was the prelude and sometimes the CON
clusion also of many an old-time fight.
Across the moor there had ridden a black
coated gentleman with buff topped hunting
boots and a couple of grooms behind him.
the little knot of horsemen showing up
clearly upon the curying swells. and then
dipping down into the alternate hollows.
Some of the more observant of the crowd
had glanced suspiciously at this advancing
figure, but the majority had not observed
him at all until he refined up his horse upon
a knoll which overlooked the ampitheater,
and in a stentorian voice announced that he
represented the Custos rotulorum of his
majesty's county of Surrey, that he pro
claimed this assembly to be gathered for an
illegal purpose, and that he was commits
stoned to dispense it by force if necessary.
Never before had | understood that deep.
seated fear and wholesome respect which
many centuries of bludgecning at the hands
Of the law had beaten into the fierce and
turbulent native of these islands. Here
was a man with two attendants upon one
side, ana on the other 80, 600 very angry and
disappointed people, many of them fighters
by profession, and some of the toughest
and most dangerous classes in the country.
And yet it was the single man who appealed
confidently to force, while his multitude
AVA we'd and murfnurpi like n mutinpuE
fierce-willed creature brought face to face
with a power against which it knew there
was neither argument nor resistance. My
uncle, however, with Berkeley Craven, Sir
John Lade. and a dozen other lords and gen
tlemen, hurried across to the interrupter
of the sport.
81 presume you have a warrant, sir?'
said Craven.
Yes, sir, | have a warrant"
Then | haveia legal right to inspect it,"
The magistrate handed him a blue paper,
which the little knot of gentlemen clustered
their heads over, for they were mostly
magistrates themselves, and were keenly
alive to any possible flaw in the wording.
At last Craven shrugged his shoulders and
handed it back.
This seems to be correct, sir" said he.
1T is entirely correct" nswere the
magistrate, affably. ITO prevent waste of
your valuable time gentlemen, i may say
once for all that 1t is my unalterable
itl' ina ~ SLY iioi uLiA'
any circumstances be brought of in the
county over which I have control. and l
am prepared to follow you all day in order
TO prevent it.
To my inexperience this appeared to bring
the whole matter to a conclusion, but | had
moderated the foresight OF those who
arrange these affairs, and also the adj
vantages which made Crawley Down so
favorite a rendezvous. There was a hurried
consultation between the principals, the
hackers, the referee and the time
keeper.
Its seven miles to Hampshire border and
about six TO Sussex said Jackson. The
famous master OF The ring was clad in honor
Of the occasion in a most resplendent scarlet
coat, worked in gold at the buttonhCles, q
white stock, a loopcd hat with a broad black
band, buff knee breechcs, white silk stock
ings, and paste buCkles-a costume which
did justice to his magnificent figure and
especially to those famous "balustrade'
calves which had helped him to be the
finest runner and jumper, as well as the
most formidable puglist in England. His
broad, high-boned face, large piercing eyes,
and immense physique made him a fitting
leader for that rough and tumultuous body
who had named him as their commander-in-
chief.
III | might venture to offer you a word Of
ADVICE said the afable official, lit would
be to make for the Hampshire line, for Sir
James Ford on the Sussex border has, as
great an ODJccllOn 10 SuCn dSSeIllDl!eS as /
have, while Mr.. Merridew Of Long Hall, who
is the Hampshire magistrate, has fewer
scrupleG upon the point
Sir" said my uncle, raising his hat in his
most Impressive manner, Il am infinitely
obliged to you. With the referees permits
sion there is nothing for it but to shift the
stakes"
In an instant a scene of the widest ANNA
ton had set in. Tom owen and his assist
ant, Togo, with the help of the ringkeepers,
plucked up the stakes and ropes and carried
them off across country. Crab Wilson was
cnveloped in great coats and borne away in
the baroucho, while Champion Harrison
took Mr.. Craven's place in our curriclc.
Then off the huge crowd started, horsemen,
vehicles, and pedestrians. rolling slowly over
the broad face of the mOorland. The car
riages rocked and pitched like boats in a
seaway as they numbered along, fifty abreast,
scrambling and lurching over everything
which came in their way,
Sometimes, with a snap and a thud, one
axle would come to the ground, while a
wheel reeled off amid the tussocks of
heather, and gpars of delight greeted the
owners as theyi looked %ruefully at the ruin.
Then. as the Eorse clumps grew thinner
and the sward- treTs level, those on foot be-
gan to run, the Tfa8fs struck in their spurs,
the drivers cracked their whips and away
they all streamed in the maddest, widest
cross-country steeplechase, the yellow ba-
rouche and the crimson c%urricle, which