22 "MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!" 



the best known and most highly respected of London 

 solicitors. Yet they did these things, and I think the 

 incident, as recorded, speaks very well for our house- 

 master, Mr Elsee, better known as " Bull." Not even 

 Sir Isaac Newton, when his dog, Diamond, upset the 

 candle on his manuscripts, spoke with more perfect self- 

 restraint. 



There is a good deal more in the story, however, than is 

 disclosed in my letter. My sister is four years older than 

 I am, and it would seem that I did not venture to tell her 

 the whole truth, which was that we put 5 on Kingcraft 

 for the Derby at 4 to i before the 2000 Guineas of that 

 year, and it was not until after he was so badly beaten for 

 that race that he retired to " remunerative odds." 



The 5 was acquired in the following way : I was busy 

 writing Latin verses in my study one evening, and there 

 were present three or four of the usual set. We were all 

 hard up, but it was known that my guardian, Mr Joseph 

 Arrowsmith, already mentioned, would send me money 

 whenever I asked for it : so then one or other of them 

 wrote a letter to him, asking for a remittance of 15 and 

 passed it to me to sign, which I did without a moment's 

 hesitation. It was posted and despatched and, sure 

 enough, by return of post there came the 15, with a letter 

 addressing me as " Dear Sir " and enclosing a form of 

 receipt with stamped, directed envelope for return. 



We were more or less like the early Christians and had 

 all things in common in those days, so that the only rights 

 of ownership I exercised consisted in taking the 5 to 

 send to George Crook at Boulogne, to back Kingcraft, 

 leaving us 10 to go on with, which was enough in all 

 conscience. When Kingcraft was so badly beaten for 

 the 2000 Guineas the idea of his winning the Derby was 

 dismissed, and on that Derby afternoon I was again 

 writing Latin verses, when my friends rushed in to say 

 Kingcraft had won. 



I hate interruption when I am busy writing, and, not 

 for a moment believing them, drove them wrathfully 



