1 9 4 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



us all, and dinners which I shall always remember : for 

 rolled ribs of beef constituted a frequent dish, and the name, 

 " Shapeless Beef " was given to it. In those days Dudley 

 Milner, younger brother of Sir Frederick Milner, used often 

 to come and see us. There was no better judge of racing 

 form, and he was very friendly with Captain Machell. 

 It was he who invented the phrase of betting " till the 

 cows come home." He was very short-sighted and never 

 provided himself with adequate glasses, so that when he 

 referred to books of form he had to get his eyes and the 

 book into close proximity. There must be many still 

 alive who remember him well, for he was a genuine en- 

 thusiast in regard to bloodstock. 



I believe that he once rendered the late Lord Gerard 

 such good services that he was offered his choice of any 

 horse in the stable, and he chose Macaroon, by Macaroni, 

 out of Margery Daw. This came very near to being 

 a successful choice, as Macaroon ran second for the 

 Cesare witch. 



In connection with 77 George Street, I shall always 

 remember a fox-terrier bitch of mine, named Vixen, who 

 was sent up in a hamper from Yorkshire. She arrived 

 about midday, and was only let out for a few minutes in 

 the courtyard ; after which she came up while we had 

 lunch. I was going riding, and some of the others were 

 going to walk with their dogs into the country. They 

 took Vixen with the rest, and when I got back I found 

 them much upset because when they had got about six 

 miles out of Oxford she had taken a fit, and on recovering 

 had run away from them as dogs will, in such circum- 

 stances, unless you give them time to collect their senses. 

 They had run after her, and finally lost her altogether. I 

 was very sorry, for I was fond of Vixen, but could not, of 

 course, blame anybody, unless it was myself for letting 

 her go out with strangers. That she was gone for ever 

 I made no doubt. Next morning, however, when the boy 

 came with my tea, Vixen ran into my room and jumped 

 on to the bed. 



