174 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



before sending him to Manchester Show in December that 

 year, I had him and Jester out exercising in the fields at 

 the back of the Vicarage. They caught a rabbit and then 

 started fighting, I was alone, but as Diver was going to 

 the show next day I was bound to separate them, if 

 possible, for Jester was a very hard-bitten customer. 



It is very difficult indeed to separate two determined 

 dogs when you are single-handed, but I managed to seize 

 up Jester by the scruff of the neck, when for a moment 

 they loosed holds. Before I raised him high enough, 

 however, Diver sprang up and caught him by a hind leg, 

 whereupon Jester whipped his head round and got me 

 by the thumb. On that I was forced to drop him, and 

 they fought till they were fairly blown and exhausted. 

 Then I again got one of them, and carried him to the 

 kennels. I was never bitten by a dog except that time, 

 and of course it was an accident. 



Diver was pretty well marked about his head, but we 

 fomented him assiduously that night, and sent him off 

 to Manchester next morning in a dog-box, without an 

 attendant. 



This was the only time I ever sent a dog to a show 

 unaccompanied, and the result was indeed surprising, for 

 he won first prize in a very strong cla^s, the Hon. T. Fitz- 

 William's Tyke (a much better dog) being second, Chance II. 

 third, Underwood's Spot fourth, H. H. Gray's Tartar, 

 extra, fifth, and L. Turner's Trumps, extra, sixth. I sold 

 Diver for 40 after that show and was glad to be rid of 

 him. 



At the York August Meeting that year the pari-mutuel 

 machines made their first and only appearance on Knaves- 

 mire. They were about eight or nine in number, and were 

 stationed outside the enclosures, near what is now the 

 entrance to the paddock. They took half-crown stakes, 

 and the machinery was well arranged to show the number 

 of stakes on each horse as half-crown after half-crown 

 was invested. This was done on the face of a big dial, the 

 figures changing mechanically to show each investment. 



