Bendigo's Deposit.

Otago Witness, Issue 1862, 29 July 1887, Page 26

Bendigo's Deposit.

The Bold Benay's eccentricities might furnish matter to fill a volume, and as they often took an aggressive form, such as pelting his Nottingham townsfolk with whatever came to hand in the shape of missilescarrots, potatoes ? turnips, and often the joints from a butcher's shop — it is not surprising that he found his way before the Nottingham magistrates more than one hundred times. It was during his last incarceration (so he used to tell his hearers when wearing a suit of black and a white 11 choker ") that his conversation dated, from the day when the chaplain spoke of David and Goliath. This circumstance so reminded him of his fight with Caunt that he from

that moment sought and found the Lord. When pugilism %vas at its zenith at' Nottingham, Bendigo, was the idol of all -the boys in the town. Some of them used to pass daily a tavern, then kept by Mr William Thompson, where a pet monkey of the " Bold 'tin's," with which he was constantly sparring, and which was his boon companion, used to run after the boys, and until theymade friendly advances, nearly terrified them out of their wits. Bendy had a funny way of making his wants known; and he generally did so at a most inopportune time. He delighted in wearing a green coat and buff trousers, and it is related that in this rather loud attire he called upon one of the most respectable inhabitants of the town just as he and his family were preparing for church. Paterfamilias had some slight knowledge of Mr William Thompson, but he was rattier surprised at the hour of making the call, and inquired the object of the Bold ♦Uns visit. "Well, Bendy," said Paterfamilias, " what can Ido for you 1 " "A fi' pun' note," calmly responded Bendigo. " What for ? " inquired the gentleman, with surprise. "Deposit — Caunt. We 'aven't got quhe enough. Sure to win. Bring it yer back in a week or two." Bendy obtained the money, and the family went to church ; but whether it was returned, or went the way of broken promises, history sayeth not.

Where are My Breeches ?

Last week we gave some anecdotes of Professor Wilson's enthusiasm for sport, but it would be difficult to surpass the following, told by a field companion of his, Mr John Sym, in the famous " Noctes Ambrosianae," where he figures under the name of Tickler : "Twenty-seven brace of birds, nine hares, three roes, and a red deer stained the heather on the 12th beneath my single-barrelled Joe, not to mention a pair of patriarchal ravens, and the Loch Erie eagle. It bore down on my dog Sancho, and would have broken his back with a stroke of its wing had I not "sent a bullet right through its heart. It went up with a yell a hundred fathoms into the clear blue air, and then, striking a green knoll in the midst of the heather, went shivering along the black surface of the tarn till it lay motionless in a huge heap among the water lilies. I stripped instanter, and shot in 20 seconds a furlong across the Fresh. Grasping the bird of Jove in my right, I rowed towards the spot where I had lef fc my breeches. Espying a trimmer, I seized it in my mouth, and on relanding, as I hoped to be shaved, lo ! a pike of 201b standing with a jaw like an alligator, and reaching from my hip to my instep, smote the heather like a flail. Braced by the liquid plunge, I circled the tarn at 10 miles an hour. Unconsciously, I had taken my Manton in my hand and reloaded it; suddenly up sprang a red deer. We were both going at the top of our speed when I fired. The ball pierced his spine, and the magnificent creature sank down and died without a convulsion. I sat down upon the forehead and rested a hand on each antler, and sent Sancho off to the tarn side for my pocket pistol, charged with Glenlivet. In a few minutes he returned and crouched down at my feet with an air of mortification. I understood him, and hurried back to the spot where I had left my garments. Not an article to be seen save and except my shoes Jacket, waistcoat, flannel, shirt, all melted away with the mountain dew. There was I like Adam in Paradise. A figure moved along the horizon — a female figure — and, as I am a Christian, I beheld my buckskin breeches dangling over her shoulders. I gave' chase, 6ft 4in in bare skin. As I neared her I saw she was making for a morass. Whiz went a ball within a stride of her petticoat. She dropped the breeches. I literally leaped into them, and, like Apollo in pursuit of Daphne, pursued my impetuous career. Down went one after the other, jacket, waistcoat, flannel shirt — would you believe it, her own blue linsey wolsey petticoat 1 Thus lightened, she bounded over the little knolls like a bark over the Sicilian seas : in two minutes she had fairly run away from me, hull down, and her long, yellow hair streaming like a pendant, disappeared into the forest."

Conscientious Gamblers,.

There was once a penciller in the North of England who would not travel on Sunday ; he was, we expect, something like the famous Princess d'Harcourt, who both gambled and cheated till 4 o'clock in the morning, but never went to bed till she had received the sacrament at the hands of her chaplain. It was in a somewhat similar spirit that the late Marquis of Exeter onoe proposed that the Riddjesworth Stakes should not take place on the Monday, as in order to be present at them he was obliged to do what he would rather avoid, namely, travel on Sunday. General Grosvenor, who was present, treated the proposal as a good joke by adding a lf rider," to the effect that the Riddlesworth Stakes should in such a case be re-christened, and further suggested they should thenceforth be called " Exetev Change." Jem Mace and the Glasgie Pugilists.

In these days, when some of our modern boxers wish to know a man's weight before they dream of encountering him, it does one good to remember the doeds of the good, old school, the most prominent survivor 01' which is Jem Mace. It is some years since that the ex-champion was announced to appear at the Britannia Music Hall, Glasgow, then kept by Mr Rossborough. The house was crowded from floor to ceiling at big prices, and meney was being turned away from the doors, for it was rumoured that Jem was about to perform with M'Turk, otherwise " The Turk," a big, powerful Irishman, and the terror of the Glaswegians ; besides which, the Scottish champion, Jem Stewart (a rank impostor, as those who saw his combat at St. .James' Hall with Tom Allen will remember), was advertised to give the Englishman a taste of his quality. Jem Mace, with an eye to the main chance, when he saw the big crowd, and knowing that to rely upon Mr ' Rossborough's — a hard-fisted Scotchman — generosity was like trusting to the proverbial broken reed, asked the proprietor what he intended giving him to spar. " What doo ye want ?" said Mr Rossborough. " Give me £5," said Jem, " and I will will box M'Turk and Stewart one after the other." "Ma conscience, thaat's a deal o' mooney." "That's my figure, not a farthing less, and money down too, guvnor." Finding Jem was determined not to take, a farthing less than the stipulated sum, Mr Eossborough parted, and the show was »v«

nouncedto commence. Amidst breathless excitement the warriors appeared on the stage — the man <who was champion in two hemispheres, and the rough who was simply a ! terror in his own locality. As the men advanced into the centre of the stage, and were in the act of shaking hands, Mr JH 'Turk let fly at Mace a savage blow with his left, which, alighting on his cheek-bone, raised a lump like a hen's egg. Enraged at such a piece of treachery, Jem went for "The Turk" like a demon. Using both hands he drove trie Scotchman before him as though his arms were steam hammers. So rapidly did his blows fall that •• The Turk' 1 wondered where they were coming from, and when Jem had throughly trounced him, with a terrific uppercutthat lifted him inches in the air, he knocked this Glasgie gent out of time. Jem Stewart came on next, and in little over five minutes Mace had made woful examples of the boxing pride of Glasgow. "We wish we could earn money like that," said some of the audience when they heard the price Jem had been paid for his double bout.