Challenge: Fight
Title: An Entertaining Evening
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD canon)
Rating: G
Length: 346
Summary: In The Solitary Cyclist Holmes recounts to Watson what happened to him in a country pub.  This is the same event, although viewed by one of the regulars.

I had gone down the Lion, as I usually did of an evening, for a bit of a drink and to catch up with me mates, when this toff came in and started chatting to Bert about the people what are staying up at the Hall.  Bert carried on pulling pints for people and telling the geezer all about Williamson at the Hall and how he’s supposed to have been a vicar or something, but he’s definitely a rum ‘un for a vicar.

Anyhow, Bert had just got to the point at which he’s describing Mr Woodley, him of the red moustache, when the gent himself came through.  Turned out he’s been drinking in the tap-room and had heard the whole thing.  Woodley weren’t happy about all this and started shouting at the toff, asking him who he was, what was he after, what was with all the questions.  Woodley’s language was pretty colourful, but the gent didn’t turn a hair.

And then Woodley let fly with a back-hander, which caught the gent on his forehead.  We thought he’d go down, but turns out he was quite a boxer.  Harry started to run a book, and I admit to having a tanner on the gent.  To look at him you’d have said he was the slighter, but I’ve watched pros boxing and he had the moves.  Woodley landed a blow which cut the gent’s lip, and a couple of other punches to the body, but he was just a slogger.  Then the gent delivered a straight left and Woodley was out for the count.  And I was in pocket.

Bert told Adam that he’d better take Woodley home in his cart.  Adam moaned that he wouldn’t get anything for his trouble, but then the gent asked what the going rate was and paid Adam to take Woodley home.  And then he bought a round for everyone in the bar.  After which, he said good night and left.  He looked in a bit of a state, so I bet his missus had something to say to him.