. Devonshire characters and strange events. k, for by closing on their antagonists for the hug,they could prevent them from kicking with toe or heel,at all events with full force. Thorne was a man of Widdecombe-on-the-Moor, aman of splendid build and muscular development. Hehad made his name as a wrestler, when he was inducedto join the Life Guards, and in the battle of Waterlootook part in the famous charge against the Frenchcuirassiers ; as he was cutting down his tenth victim ashot laid him low, at the age of twenty-three. Then two young Devonian giants took the lead inthe ring, Johnny Jord
. Devonshire characters and strange events. k, for by closing on their antagonists for the hug,they could prevent them from kicking with toe or heel,at all events with full force. Thorne was a man of Widdecombe-on-the-Moor, aman of splendid build and muscular development. Hehad made his name as a wrestler, when he was inducedto join the Life Guards, and in the battle of Waterlootook part in the famous charge against the Frenchcuirassiers ; as he was cutting down his tenth victim ashot laid him low, at the age of twenty-three. Then two young Devonian giants took the lead inthe ring, Johnny Jordan and Flower, each six feethigh and weighing a trifle over eighteen stone was a redoubted kicker, and the bravest wrest-lers shrank from challenging him. On one occasionFlower and Jordan were opposed to one another, andafter a struggle of seventeen minutes. Flower gaveway. In 1816, Flower was confronted with Polkinghorne,a St. Columb taverner, and the champion of latter was too much for Flower, and he was thrown. A B IE j-MHi ii, m C >\ y\ isj, Who ^^s * lor 100 , Htip). ,5 f^ 3 t W- i^>>. )2 -St^ns 711. Pul if , //<?/ .f-^ r :v yl-y DEVONSHIRE WRESTLERS 519 amidst enthusiastic cheering and hat-tossing and ker-chief-waving of the Cornishmen. Jackman, another Devonshire man, confronted Polk-inghorne next day, and he was cast over the head ofthe Cornubian, describing the flying mare. WilliamWreford, at the age of eighteen, achieved reputationby throwing Jordan over his head with such force thatJordan came down with a crash similar to that pro-duced by felling an oak tree. But Wreford methis match in a wrestle with the little Elephant,James Stone. Simultaneously the men grappled eachother ; and although Wreford had the advantage at theoutset, he was hurled into the air, and fell with suchviolence on his back that for a time he was incapacitatedfrom taking part in a similar contest. Eventually
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