two hours after noon
Then there was fresh grinding of teeth , and scowling brows were turned to the heaven ; but what is this ? is it possible , does the heaven scowl too ? why , only a quarter of an hour ago ... but what may not happen in a quarter of an hour ? For many weeks the weather had been of the most glorious description , the eventful day , too , had dawned gloriously , and so it had continued till some two hours after noon ; the fight was then over ; and about that time I looked up -- what a glorious sky of deep blue , and what a big fierce sun swimming high above in the midst of that blue ; not a cloud -- there had not been one for weeks -- not a cloud to be seen , only in the far west , just on the horizon , something like the extremity of a black wing ; that was only a quarter of an hour ago , and now the whole northern side of the heaven is occupied by a huge black cloud , and the sun is only occasionally seen amidst masses of driving vapour ; what a change ! but another fight is at hand , and the pugilists are clearing the outer ring ; -- how their huge whips come crashing upon the heads of the yokels ; blood flows , more blood than in the fight ; those blows are given with right good-will , those are not sham blows , whether of whip or fist ; it is with fist that grim Shelton strikes down the big yokel ; he is always dangerous , grim Shelton , but now particularly so , for he has lost ten pounds betted on the brave who sold himself to the yokels ; but the outer ring is cleared : and now the second fight commences ; it is between two champions of less renown than the others , but is perhaps not the worse on that account . A tall thin boy is fighting in the ring with a man somewhat under the middle size , with a frame of adamant ; that 's a gallant boy ! he 's a yokel , but he comes from Brummagem , and he does credit to his extraction ; but his adversary has a frame of adamant : in what a strange light they fight , but who can wonder , on looking at that frightful cloud usurping now one-half of heaven , and at the sun struggling with sulphurous vapour ; the face of the boy , which is turned towards me , looks horrible in that light , but he is a brave boy , he strikes his foe on the forehead , and the report of the blow is like the sound of a hammer against a rock ; but there is a rush and a roar overhead , a wild commotion , the tempest is beginning to break loose ; there 's wind and dust , a crash , rain and hail ; is it possible to fight amidst such a commotion ?