Sam Chifney. 97 



up his wasting in utter despair, about three pounds 

 beyond it. His dislike of wasting did not, however, 

 interfere with his regular masters ; but unless he liked 

 the horse, he did not care to trouble himself for any- 

 one else, and by this indifference to his profession, he 

 lost hundreds of mounts. He was, in short, not a little 

 perverse on this point ; and when a riding retainer was 

 offered him by Lord Chesterfield, who merely wished 

 him to take the best mounts and leave the rest to 

 Conolly, he declined it, and thus missed winning some 

 of the finest prizes of the day. He had, however, 

 gallantly earned his spurs many years before he flung 

 this offer to the winds, and while he felt truly that his 

 fame would not suffer from lack of mounts, he felt still 

 less the necessity of laying by funds against an evil 

 day. The term " Old Screw" unfortunately had no 

 origin in his handling of money. Like his brother, 

 Will was also far too easy and open-handed in these 

 matters, and hence he had to mourn over many thou- 

 sands, which the short memories of losers and bor- 

 rowers deprived him of. "Pipes and Peace" was 

 Sam's creed, and his constitutional indolence was so 

 great, that he could often be hardly got on to the 

 Heath in the morning to ride important trials, even 

 when a favourite master like Lord Darlington was con- 

 cerned. Once for instance, when Memnon was 

 matched for 1000 guineas a side, against Lord Exeter's 

 colt Enamel (whose Two Thousand Guinea victory 

 caused his lordship and Mr. Tattersall to race by 

 proxy into Devonshire, and knock up her owner at 

 midnight to bid for the dam), he had arranged to meet 

 his brother at the Ditch stables. For two hours did 

 Will wait there with the horses, but no Sam, and he 

 accordingly mounted the winner of the St. Leger him- 

 self, and won the trial in a canter. " A pretty fellow 

 you are to bring me back this way without trying the 

 horses /" was Will's remark, when he met his brother 

 at his own stable-door ; and " No, no ! that wont do t 



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