2 8o KINGSCLERE 



each. As some of the jockeys were 9 st. or 10 st. 

 men, and there were very few weighted cloths 

 available, those riders who were deficient in weight 

 made up the difference by filling their pockets with 

 flints. One determined jockey, who had made sure 

 of winning, rode himself clean out of the saddle, and 

 finished gallantly on the horse's croup. Since the 

 first " Cannon Heath Meeting" had passed off so 

 harmlessly, I readily gave my sanction to a repetition 

 of what some of my sporting neighbours were 

 beginning to hope would prove a fixture. But 

 certain of the bookmaking fraternity got wind of it, 

 and, owing to a couple of them being unable to settle 

 when called upon, the meeting wound up with a 

 swimming match in a convenient pond, into which 

 the defaulters were summarily immersed. I dare 

 say neither they nor any of their brethren and 

 followers would have ever patronised the meeting 

 again, but I had had quite enough of it. That 

 second farmers' meeting on the Downs will last me 

 all my life. 



1 It follows as an inevitable rule that where there 

 is game there will be poachers. These gentry are 

 numerous in the Clere country, and especially in my 

 part of it, and are not at all easy to catch. A neigh- 

 bour of mine, Mr. S. Wentworth, was informed that a 

 certain notorious poacher had been seen planting his 

 wires, and, since it was pretty certain that he would 

 return to them very early next morning, arrange- 

 ments were made to place him and his snares under 

 unobserved inspection. Mr. Wentworth himself, a 



