The Life of a Great Sportsman 



relinquished the pigskin, was now the recognized jockey of the 

 stable, was also riding in tip-top form, so no wonder Zero left 

 off a great public fancy. Unfortunately the luck which had 

 been his now for some time past deserted Mr. " Roily " on this 

 occasion. Zero, who was going as strong as a lion at the time, 

 just behind Shifnal and Jackal, and jumping splendidly, came a 

 tremendous cropper at Valentine's Brook the second time round, 

 with serious results to his plucky rider. With the assistance 

 of the late Tom Cannon (senior), who happened to be on the 

 spot, he was brought back to the Grand Stand, where, on 

 arrival in the weighing room, his injuries, after examination, 

 were discovered to be so serious that Sir James Paget was at 

 once telegraphed for. On arrival at Liverpool he confirmed 

 the opinion of the other medical men in attendance, that their 

 noble patient had dislocated his neck. Now this was "a fact " 

 which the amateur jockey declined to believe until four years 

 later when, calling on Sir James about another matter, the 

 great surgeon, referring to the accident, remarked, " Well, all I 

 can say is, you are one of those extraordinary people who has 

 broken his neck and are none the worse. Your skeleton," he 

 added, " should be one of the most valuable in existence." 



On Lord Minto remarking that he would gladly bequeath 

 his skeleton to him in his will, Sir James laughingly replied, 

 " Oh, I shall be gone long before you, but I can answer for 

 them that the College of Surgeons will be very glad of it if you 

 like to leave it to them." 



Lord Minto certainly had an extraordinary escape. The 

 muscles of his neck shrank, with the effect of pulling his head 

 down on one side, and for months he was practically a cripple 

 and suffering great pain in his shoulder and arm, which remained 

 with him for years afterwards — to the end indeed. Notwith- 

 standing which, though still very weak and ill from the fall in 



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