14 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



about 5 yards behind me. At the ninth a louder crash 

 told me that something had happened, and I afterwards 

 learnt that my brave Young had turned a complete 

 somersault over the obstacle. I held on, but felt that 

 I was about done ; to rise at the tenth hurdle my legs 

 absolutely refused, so I threw myself over it, got up, 

 staggered forward, and fell again on the flat, rose on my 

 hands and knees, and saw the winning post about 10 

 yards on, and heard the yells of the bystanders on all 

 sides. I knew I could not stand, so keeping my eyes 

 on the place scrambled forward on all fours, and threw 

 myself head over heels over the line. In a few moments 

 I was all right again, and stood more danger of being 

 torn to pieces by my friends, in fact the entire British 

 community, than by any other after effects. Young was 

 far worse after his fall over the ninth hurdle ; he nearly 

 fainted, and it was long before he came round. My 

 calculations had been correct, and the extra 3 inches of 

 the hurdles and 80 yards in the race saved me, though 

 the great pace I was obliged to go at to win was very 

 nearly too much for me. I need not say it is the last 

 race I shall ever run." 



In all games he took the keenest interest, and when 

 lawn tennis was first brought into notice, Brooke pur- 

 sued it with his wonted vigour, and was one of the first 

 members of the Committee of the All England Lawn 

 Tennis Association at Wimbledon, and never afterwards 

 missed being present at the championships. 



In 1880, some years before the present furore for 

 golf arose, he was struck with its undoubted merits, and 

 in England, Scotland, and Pau went through that course 

 of heavenly joy and deep depression which the rest of 

 golfing mankind never fails to experience. 



It is difficult to understand how a game that for 



