THE LAST LAP 



did not know. There are stories of many men and 

 different countries, mostly good men — very few bad. 

 It may give some idea to the unsophisticated as to 

 what can happen. There was the necessity of intrud- 

 ing myself into these pages which was not exactly the 

 idea I started out with, but that will serve to keep 

 the personal note, and maybe in generations to come 

 the historic past so far as it concerns the turf may be 

 quoted. 



In reading over the proofs and recalling certain 

 chances in life which were missed, there should be 

 many regrets that, as a man of over fifty, a great mark 

 has not been made in the world — chiefly financially. 

 Instead of that, day succeeds day with the regular task. 

 But how lucky we are when we have work which is to 

 bring in a living. Lord Northcliffe has laid down the 

 axiom to his young men : " If you don't make money 

 and put it away before you're forty you never will." 

 I have perhaps shown that I didn't have to wait till 

 forty to make some money, but — putting it away ! — 

 excuse me. Lord Northcliffe. But I hope he's wrong 

 about " never will." It's still lying about if we are 

 not short-sighted. 



There is the pathetic note in this work in reading 

 names to notice before some " the late." Each of 

 us has his turn, and all we can hope is that the 

 memory can be favourable. A man can only do his 

 best ; let that come in your ante-post estimate and 

 when my number is up, and I don't quite tip the scale, 

 throw in the make-weight of your friendship to put 

 down the balance in my favour against faults — obvious 

 and alleged — as the author of this book. But why 

 be grave ? There may be more to tell some day ; I 

 should like to live to be a hundred years old — life is 

 so attractive. 





511 



