Tom McGeorge at last said to us, " Get ready ; I 

 shall not wait any longer for this brute." But he 

 couldn't start us, as the horse was walking down the 

 middle of the course. At length we were all ready ; 

 and when Payne was within five or six lengths, 

 McGeorge told him to get on one side, and dropped 

 the flag. As McGeorge was in the act of so doing. 

 " Speedy " vaulted into the saddle like a circus-rider, 

 without his feet in the stirrup-irons, got two lengths' 

 start, was never caught, and, I need hardly tell you. 

 won the race. It was a near thing, whether he was 

 on the right side of the post or not when he started ; 

 but everybody was so much amused that no one 

 thought of objecting. 



On another occasion " Speedy " was riding a horse 

 named ' Peignoir ' at Brighton, belonging to his 

 master, Mr. Stevens. The horse was beaten, but 

 some of the public and the stewards were not quite 

 satisfied about the way he was ridden. About ten 

 minutes after the race, Payne was sent for out of 

 the jockeys' room to go before the stewards, who 

 were the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Falmouth, and 

 Admiral Rous. I shall never forget " Speedy 's " 

 face when he removed a quid of tobacco from his 

 mouth, straightened his curly hair, and said: "I'll 

 give these people something." We were all waiting 



lO 



