Preface 



I had the pleasure shortly after this to call- upon Mr. Finch 

 Mason, and it was forthwith arranged between us that if I 

 would undertake to write my brother's family history, collect his 

 personal writings, get impressions from his school and college 

 friends, and all the illustrations requisite for such a book, he 

 would gladly undertake to write what he knew of his racing 

 career. 



Quite lightheartedly I accepted my part of this undertaking, 

 and went down to my home in Cornwall, where I commenced 

 operations at once by writing a synopsis of the intended book 

 as requested by Messrs. Vinton. The result being deemed 

 quite satisfactory, I now sat down in earnest to write the life of 

 my brother. 



And I began to live again in the past. Grouped around me 

 were those whom I had loved so well in their lifetime, and I 

 soon experienced, what no doubt hundreds of writers have done 

 before me, the terrible sadness and seriousness of the task I had 

 undertaken. Having an extraordinary memory, relatives and 

 friends long since departed, and incidents in connection with 

 them, were present to my mind in the most vivid manner. It 

 seemed almost impossible that they could be dead, and I was 

 living without them, almost alone in the world. Around me 

 they crowded, persistently claiming my attention and my remem- 

 brance, and it is hardly a matter of wonderment that I lost 

 myself again and again in the dear old days of long ago. 



And then — back again into the present, with the practical 

 part of my work before me ; the collection of material, the actual 

 sitting down at my writing-table day after day, to work these 

 recollections into shape for publication ; and the ever-present 

 fear that I should be unequal to the task of doing justice to my 

 subject. 



Difficult though my task, I managed to struggle through 



