HAMPDEN AND THE FLAT EARTH 387 



why he should not do so. Thereupon Mr. Hampden wrote 

 to him demanding his money back on the ground that the 

 decision was unjust, and ought to have been given in his 

 favour. In thus writing to Hampden and receiving his 

 demand for his deposit to be returned Mr. Walsh made a 

 great mistake, which had serious consequences for me. The 

 law declares that all wagers are null and void, and that money 

 lost by betting is not recoverable at law. But the judges 

 have decided that when a wager is given against him by the 

 umpire, the loser can claim his money back from the stake- 

 holder if the latter has not already paid it away to the winner. 

 Hence, if a loser immediately claims his money from the 

 stake-holder, the law will enforce the former's claim on the 

 ground that it is his money, and the fact that he has lost it 

 in a quite fair wager is beyond the cognizance of the law. 

 Neither I nor Mr. Walsh knew of this, although he had 

 decided and paid many wagers; but this resulted in my 

 having to pay the money back five years later, as will be 

 presently described. 



I will now briefly state what were Hampden's proceed- 

 ings for the next fifteen or sixteen years. He first began 

 abusing Mr. Walsh in letters, post-cards, leaflets, and pam- 

 phlets as a liar, thief, and swindler. Then he began upon 

 me with even more virulence, writing to the presidents and 

 secretaries of all the societies to which I belonged, and to 

 any of my friends whose addresses he could obtain. One of 

 his favourite statements in these letters was, " Do you know 

 that Mr. A. R. Wallace is allowing himself to be posted all 

 over England as a cheat and a swindler ? ' But he soon 

 took more violent measures, and sent the following letter to 

 my wife : — 



" Mrs. Wallace, 



" Madam — If your infernal thief of a husband is 

 brought home some day on a hurdle, with every bone in his 

 head smashed to pulp, you will know the reason. Do you 

 tell him from me he is a lying infernal thief, and as sure as 

 his name is Wallace he never dies in his bed. 



