form and asked if the
challenge included outside citizens?
Dick immediately replied, "You, or anybody in England." William said he did
not know much about fighting with gloves, but if the gentleman would
consent to three rounds with bare knuckles he would be pleased to
accommodate him at once.
"All right, toe the mark!"
Mat Monmouth called time.
Dick Milton made a tiger leap at William, and landed with his right eye on
the right knuckles of the Stratford citizen. The quickness and science of
the Bard was a great surprise to the Cambridge athlete, and when time was
called he came up groggy with a funeral eye, on the defense, and not on the
tiger attack.
Considerable sparring for place, and dodging about the human ring, was
indulged in by Dick, but William foiled each blow, and as the Cambridge man
inadvertently rubbed his swollen eye, the Bard landed a stinging blow on
the left optic of Milton and sent him into the arms of the landlord.
When time was called, no response from the Cambridge champion was heard,
and Mat Monmouth handed over the prize purse to William, when the Oxford
lads cheered the Stratford stranger to the echo, and made him an honorary
member of their athletic club.
_"Screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we will not fail."_
At the second crow of the cock William and myself bid good-bye to the jolly
Boniface and his fantastic spouse, who made a deep impression on the Bard.
In fact, he was easily impressed when youth, beauty and pleasure reigned
around, and had he been born in Kentucky, no blue ribbon stallion in the
commonwealth could match his form, spirit or gait.
Apollo with his rosy footsteps lit up hill, meadow and lawn, and kissed
away the sparkling dewdrops of bush and hedge, cheering us on our way
through the towns of Thane, over the Chilton Hills, on to Great Marlow,
Maidenhead and renowned Windsor, where forest and castle thrilled the
beholder with admiration for the works of Nature and Art.
It was late in the afternoon when we entered the broad highway to Windsor,
passing numerous yeomen and tradespeople on their way to and from the royal
domain of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
In striding along, with hearts light and airy, we were suddenly startled by
cries of frantic yells coming from the rear, and looking around beheld a
wild, runaway horse, and an open wagon with two young girls screaming for
help.
To see, think and act was always the way of Willi
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