THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



remarks and replies, and compressing what they have to say- 

 in as small a space as possible ; and I witnessed, a short time 

 back, one very laughable instance of it. At the first change 

 out of London, after the coach had stopped, perhaps three- 

 fourths of a minute, a passenger put his head out of the window, 

 and asked the coachman if he could have some breakfast. 

 " Yes, sir," he replied (he was at that moment in the act of 

 gathering the reins into his hand, the fresh horses having been 

 put to the coach), "if you can eat it whilst I can count 

 twenty ; " and, springing on to his box, he was off, leaving his 

 passenger to his meditations.' 



It was in the course of this summer that our hero first 

 attended the renowned Bibury race-meeting, then in the zenith 

 of its glory, and he was elected one of its members neinine 

 contradicente. In fact, he was exactly the sort of person 

 calculated for it. In the first place, there was no lack of 

 means ; in the next, he had purchased a horse in training, said 

 to be likely to win what is called the ' Welter Stakes,' the best 

 of the meeting;, and so called because the weight carried was 

 thirteen stone for all ages. And he had a twofold object in 

 view, with respect to this horse. If he did not win the stakes, 

 he was convinced he would make him a capital hunter, from 

 his great power and size. But who was to be his jockey ? ' I 

 will ride him myself,' said he ; 'I can ride the weight on a light 

 saddle.' 



' Surely not,' observed Hargrave ; ' 3^ou never rode a race in 

 your life ; and you are aware that you will have to contend 

 against all the best gentlemen jockeys of the day.' 



' There must be a beginning to everything,' replied Frank 

 Raby, ' as well as an end. It is true I have never ridden a race, 

 but I have seen many ridden, and heard the instructions given 

 to the jockeys, who tried my two Oaks fillies twice, in private ; 

 and also when they came to the post. I know pretty well 

 what a horse can do under such a weight as mine.' 



' And have you backed your horse to win ^ ' resumed Har- 

 grave. 



'Only to a small amount,' replied Raby — -'just enough to 

 give me an additional interest in the race. I have taken 200 

 to 20 against him from O'Hara the " leg," whom you see there 

 on the grey horse, with winkers to his bridle.' 



It was at this period that George iv., when Prince of 



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