366 ashgill; or, the life 



CHAPTER XIX 



" He was a man, take him for all in all, 

 I shall not look upon his like again." 



A TRAGIC story now calls for recital in regard to a 

 famous horseman who had met John Osborne in man}^ 

 a stirring contest. Fred Archer committed suicide on 

 8th November, 1886, and the news of the tragedy came 

 as a great shock to the racing world. In the preceding 

 month Archer visited Ireland on the 18th for the 

 purpose of riding Cambusmore, for Lord Londonderry, 

 in the Lord-Lieutenant's Plate at the Curragh. He 

 attained the object of his visit, as Cambusmore won the 

 race easily. After a couple of other mounts the same 

 afternoon, he returned home three days later, in order 

 to ride St. Mirin for the Cambridgeshire at something 

 like the horse's handicap weight. He underwent 

 great privation, going for three days without food, 

 not a bite of any sort passing through his lips, whilst 

 on the other hand he saturated himself with trying 

 medicines, and spent part of the time in a Turkish 

 bath attached to his private house. By these means 

 he was able to ride St. Mirin at 8 st. 7 lbs., or 1 lb. 

 overweight, in the Cambridgeshire, but the effort cost 

 him his hfe, as he fell into such a weak state of health 

 that, after riding at Brighton, and on the first day of 

 Lewes Meeting, he had his last mount on 4th November, 



