arcber in 5relan^ 129 



Archer had nothing to ride that day, but went 

 down as a spectator. A busy time he had, too, as 

 he couldn't stir without a crowd of the " bhoys " 

 almost mobbing him in admiration. As he had not 

 been riding for a few days, and had been indulging 

 a bit, he was rather anxious to know his weight, and 

 asked me to q-q to the weis^hinof-room with him, as 

 he knew I had been over there before. We went 

 together, and I put him in the scales with his jacket 

 and waistcoat off, and he weighed 9 st. 4 lb. He 

 had only a thin pair of trousers and thin boots on, 

 so 1 said : 



" Why, you could only just about strip your 

 saddle." 



He said : " That is just what I could do ; but 

 never mind, my old horse has only 9 st. 3 lb. on, so 

 I have only to get i lb. off." 



I looked at the list, and said : 



" Your horse ' Cambusmore ' has only 9 st. on." 



He answered : " What nonsense !" 



So I bet him half a crown I was correct, and 

 when he read the conditions over two or three times, 

 he found out he was wrong. They had mixed them 

 up in a real Irish fashion, hence Fred's mistake. I 

 believe these were the conditions of the race : 

 The Lord-Lieutenant's Plate, one and a half miles, 



9 



