450 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



the Duke proves that he was a wag in his way. He 

 called John to him on one occasion, and said he never 

 knew he was a thief before. " What, my Lord Duke ! I 

 don't understand you. I never did anything wrong in 

 my life." " Yes, you did, John, you stole that race for 

 me this afternoon." 



No man weighs his words more than Osborne when 

 expressing an opinion in regard to the merits or 

 demerits of other men. On one occasion Mr. Robert 

 Pygate, of Beverley, and Mr. W. Scarth Dixon, well 

 known by his articles under the nom de plume of " The 

 British Yeoman," contributed to the Sporting Times, 

 were discussing the merits of great jockeys of the past. 

 Osborne happened to be one of the party. He had 

 just retired from the pigskin, and, anxious to have his 

 opinion as to who was the best horseman of his time, 

 he was asked by Mr. Pygate 



" Now, John, who was the best jockey you ever rode 

 against? " 



" Well," musingly replied John, " there's been a lot 

 of good jockeys. Jim Robinson was a good jockey, and 

 so was Fred Archer." 



Still further cornering the veteran, Mr. Dixon 

 inquired, " Now, John, let us have it out." 



''' Well," after a pause, Osborne said, " I am inclined 

 to think Fordham was the best ; you never quite knew 

 where you had him." 



'That stamps it," exclaimed "The Yeoman," and 

 while many are of opinion that Archer was greater than 

 ' The Kid," it goes a long way in Fordham's favour that 

 one of his greatest rivals over a long period of years pro- 

 nounced in his favour as " the greatest Roman of them 

 all." John was in a very reckless mood that evening, 

 for he actually did not retire to roost until half -past ten 



