76 TOM CANNON 



racing fraternity more than has hitherto been 

 suspected. He studiously upheld the true dignity 

 of the Turf, and utterly despised many tricks 

 which are occasionally resorted to by followers 

 of his calling — such, for instance, as " gallery- 

 riding" — that is to say, he never pretended to 

 exert himself to the utmost when he was "up" 

 on a superior mount. Living at the same time, 

 these two men seemed to be antap;onistic to 

 one another. Both were courageous, and both 

 were unique in many respects. Archer was tall 

 and lithe, and rode " long," whereas Tom Cannon 

 was thick-set for a jockey, and rode rather 

 "short" — usually he was humane. "The Tin- 

 man " hunched his back and looked like a gipsy ; 

 the other sat erect. Cannon's genius lay in his 

 insinuating hands, and Archer depended chiefly 

 on the use he made of his whip and sharp spurs. 

 Perhaps the strongest resemblance lay in their 

 constitutions, for, though muscular, Tom Cannon 

 was delicate, whilst poor Archer's health was 

 ruined several years before he committed suicide ; 

 yet he performed wonders, with an impetuous, dare- 

 devil genius. Cannon, on the other hand, was 

 patience personified. 



With these, and numerous other distinctions, 

 how can we draw a hard-and-fast rule, and 

 say which was the finer horseman? Supposing 

 that they had raced at totally different periods, 

 we should be even more confused than we are 

 now as to which instructor should be followed. 

 Archer, of course, has long since been dead, and 

 Tom Cannon has retired from the saddle for 



