86 STEEPLECHASTNG 



Mr. "Certainly not. That is a matter totally wide of the 



question." 



Olliver. "Oh no, it isn't! I should like to see what they are 

 giving you for your mount." 



There was a great laugh at this, and the judge joined the public 



and the bar in their mirth. When the laughter had subsided, Mr. 



continued : " I don't intend to satisfy you. Now, then, tell the court 

 how you can support this charge." 



Olliver. " Well, it was a big race, and I won it. Now, if I could 

 have got you to ride for me to-day, I think I could have made a 

 certainty of getting all the stakes, and I shouldn't have thought of 

 giving you less than a couple of ' ponies,' whatever the taxing-master 

 might have said afterwards ; while, as for those outsiders," indicating 

 the bar in general, "I would not have had 'em at a 'quid' apiece." 



There was naturally a roar in court. The judge, 



after quiet was restored, said, " Mr. , after such a 



compliment as that I feel sure you will offer no further 

 opposition on the part of your clients to this item. I 

 and the gentlemen of the jury, however, will relieve you 

 of any embarrassment you may feel. I shall tell them 

 that the item is under the circumstances quite fair and 

 reasonable, and I am sure they will take my directions." 

 There was not any further opposition to the account, 

 and it need hardly be said that Tom Olliver " won his 

 law race hands down." 



It was from, if not in, the county of Monmouth that 

 Tom Olliver found a haven of refuge. To Mr. Cart- 

 wright he sold The Bloomer, the grandam of all the 

 good racehorses with which Olliver did so well in 

 training at Wroughton, on the road out of Swindon, 

 where the village inn shows on its sign the Horse and 

 Jockey, Ely standing for the horse and a red jacketed 

 rider for the other. Fairwater, Ely, Albert Victor, 

 Louise Victoria, and George Frederick were trained 

 by Olliver, who died on the 8th of January 1874 at 

 Wroughton, and had he only lived a few months longer 

 what a proud man he would have been after George 

 Frederick's victory in the Derby. 



