160 CHASING AND RACING 



Before becoming my property his average was 

 about one win in ten starts , and often " down the 

 course ! " verb sap ! 



It was a sad damper on my triumph that I had to 

 see the dear old thing knocked down at auction for a 

 sum amounting to over three times that which I had 

 paid for him ; but matters of a serious domestic 

 nature * had arisen, such as demanded my undivided 

 attention, so that I had decided to drop race riding 

 for the time being at any rate. Weasel was subse- 

 quently sold to Lord Dudley for "a monkey/* f with a 

 view, I suppose, to his supplying the future Viceroy 

 of Ireland with an armchair winning ride ; but as 

 far as I am aware, this desirable consummation never 

 materialized. 



The last I heard of the old chap was that he was 

 enjoying otium cum dignitate^ as the favourite covert 

 hack of the Marquis of Cholmondeley. 



With the inevitable straw in his mouth, his lordship 

 told me of old Weasel's well-being and what a delightful 

 hack he was. This I could well imagine, for his 

 manners were perfect, and he had the temperament of 

 an angel, despite a knocking about and " suffering it 

 rough," such as would have converted nine blood'uns 

 out of ten to the ways of rogues or savages. 



I have more than once alluded to the fact that 

 certain self-styled critics affected to regard me as an 

 amateur rider of no skill or knowledge whatsoever. 

 * See p. 104. f 500. 



