20 FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



era of Admiral Rous and George Payne, and 

 being constantly at Newmarket I knew them 

 both intimately. Scores of times did I dine 

 with the old Admiral and Mrs. Rous at their 

 house on the Terrace. A memorable feature 

 at those parties was the matchmaking which 

 was sure to come off when the claret had been 

 round two or three times. Two or more of 

 the guests would ask the Admiral to handicap 

 their respective horses for the purpose ; and, ever 

 ready for this kind of business, he first made a 

 proviso that each owner should hold half a crown 

 in his closed fist. After some minutes* reflection 

 the handicapper in solemn tones proclaimed the 

 course and the weights. The hands were opened ; 

 if no money, no match ; but if the half-crowns 

 were still there, then it was a match ; the half- 

 crowns passed into the Admiral's pocket, and all 

 three were satisfied. Nobody seems to drink 

 claret nowadays, and the only matches wanted 

 after dinner are for the inevitable cigarette. 



On the Heath in those times we all rode hacks 

 or ponies. The winning-post was dragged from 

 one spot to another, rather like a portable 

 bathing machine. There were ropes along the 

 courses, and this continued until one evening at 

 dusk Colonel Blackwood, a Queen's Messenger, 

 rode against the ropes ; the horse fell and broke 



