FATHER OF PIGEON-FANCIERS 55 



turned the corner, running as though dear life 

 itself depended on his speed. My skinnum was 

 in his hand. Hurrah ! the prize was mine ; for 

 living further from the rendezvous, I was allowed 

 a minute and a half more time than my dreaded 

 competitor, whom I had just seen catch his bird. 

 Before John reached me mv rival rushed from 

 his door, and with a shout of triumph, as he saw 

 me waiting, darted like an arrow on his way. 

 In a few seconds that seemed to me an eternity, 

 John rushed to me with my bird. I snatched it 

 from his hands, and ran as I never ran before 

 or since, for there was not a moment to be lost. 

 Still, with great speed I was sure of the prize, 

 and I need not say I did my very best. I reached 

 the corner of the street in which the ' Blue Lion ' 

 stood, and leaned inwards, like a horse in a 

 circus, as I turned the angle at my utmost speed. 

 But, alas for the vanity of human hopes ! An 

 old woman, with a basket of apples suspended 

 from her waist by a strap, was just round the 

 corner, and I came full tilt against her. I am 

 not very heavy, but impetus is the result of 

 weight and velocity combined, and what I wanted 

 in one was made up by the other ; the conse- 

 quence was that the old woman went over 

 backwards, and I went over the old woman. 

 AVhere the apples went to I do not know ; but 

 I believe some of the boys round about could 

 tell better than any other persons. My best 

 mealy-skinnum, that had virtually won the race, 

 escaped in the collision, and went home again. 

 I picked myself up without loss of time, and 

 looked towards the ' Blue Lion ' — only to see my 

 detested competitor and the landlord laughing 

 at the unlucky chance which had robbed me of 

 the prize." 



