The Life of a Great Sportsman 



sultry nature, and as he was never addicted to strong language 

 at any time of his life, it was clear that on this occasion his 

 temper must have been tried beyond endurance. It was from 

 this meeting that a friendship sprang up between Lord Melgund, 

 as Lord Minto then was, and my brother, which was destined to 

 last until the end of their lives. It goes without saying that 

 his horse had to negotiate that fence before he was allowed to 

 return to his stable that night. 



But in spite of having no books at all in his rooms at the 

 time his brother William visited him at Cambridge, my brother 

 was evidently determined to show that, although he loved 

 horses, hunting, and racing above all things, he could devote 

 himself to reading when so inclined, and that when he chose 

 he could work as resolutely as any man at Cambridge who 

 "sported his oak." For one whole year, in fact, he devoted 

 himself so assiduously to reading, that he passed the examina- 

 tion he was going in for, with flying colours, and I verily believe 

 was more proud of the achievement than of any of his later 

 turf victories. 



How well I remember the telegram arriving at Limber ! — 

 they were rare in those days, and we had to pay five shillings 

 for delivery of a message — and our delight at the glorious news 

 that told us of his success. His friend and biographer, Mr. 

 Finch Mason (" Uncle Toby "), in the course of an article in 

 the Sporting Times of January 27, 191 2, written after my 

 brother's death, thus alludes to the incident : 



" I venture to think that nine undergraduates out of ten 

 with similar tastes to his, and facilities for indulging in them, 

 would to a certainty have devoted such energy as they possessed 

 to their development, to the entire exclusion of study. Not so 

 Maunsell Richardson, who to his credit be it said, resisted with 

 Spartan courage all the allurements of the saddle — in his case 



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