498 ashgill; or, the life 



" I have seen Archer win a race by a neck when he 

 had a stone in hand, and Fordham had the same ' kid ' 

 about him — more so than Archer; but Archer could 

 draw it as ' fine ' as anybody. Osborne could draw it 

 ' fine ' very nicely sometimes. I have seen him win very 

 cleverly by a neck when he had a lot in hand. When 

 you have nothing to do but to watch the horses and 

 watch their performances it gives you a good idea. The 

 first year I judged at Chester, Epaminondas won. The 

 horse's name was not on the card, and when I hoisted 

 the number the people came round me and cried, ' Hi ! 

 Maister Judge, there's nae such horse in the race as that 

 number.' I said, ' Never mind, he's won,' and it was a 

 long time before the row stopped." 



Mr. Thomas Craggs was clerk of the course at 

 Stockton for many years, and it would appear that he 

 owed his introduction to that post to Judge Johnson. 

 Following up his " crack," the Judge said, " I judged at 

 Newcastle for the first time in '44, and continued in 

 office till Mr. Ford came on the scene. At Stockton 

 they asked me to take office, but I said I could not 

 undertake it. I met Mr. Craggs at the foot of the stairs 

 after giving in my refusal, and he said, ' Recommend 

 me, Mr. Johnson.' I did so, and he was appointed. 

 After that Mr. Craggs became clerk of the course at 

 Newcastle, and he introduced Mr. Ford, who took my 

 place after serving them for many years. I could never 

 look kindly again upon Mr. Craggs for that act of 

 forgetfulness." 



And so this sporadic discourse is introduced 

 into our book to show in an indirect manner the 

 veteran judge as one of the " men of the times " in 

 the period covered by the story. The reader may think 

 a lot of it extraneous, and Ukely enough it is, but to the 



