SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



charge, I believe, being half a crown. That, how- 

 ever, is a detail. What I wish to say is that during 

 the afternoon Kelly and I went for a walk on the 

 sands, made hard and dry by the sun after the 

 retreat of the tide. He was, as I have said, of 

 agile nature, and commenced frisking and jumping 

 about. 



" Can you do hop, step, and a jump ? " he 

 inquired. 



I confessed to ignorance of the game, though I 

 could, in the ordinary way, both hop and jump, and 

 many years later thought nothing of clearing, on 

 one leg, four substantially-built chairs. The name 

 of the game explained fairly its character — first you 

 hopped, then stepped, and then jumped without 

 cessation of action. The " step " was new to me, 

 and Kelly beat me very easily. I thought the thing 

 worth practising, and next morning was hopping, 

 stepping, and jumping by four o'clock. On the 

 Saturday Kelly and I were again on the sands, and 

 he was soon at what evidently was his favourite 

 exercise. I told him I had improved, but he only 

 laughed. 



" I should like a match with you," he said. 



" Oh, wait till I have had more practice." 



" Oh, no ! I'm going away. Look here, youngster. 

 I owe you a pony over Hydrangea. I'll bet you 



