The Earl of Minto 



managed to walk back to the weighing-room, where it was at 

 once seen that his injuries were very serious, the doctors, in- 

 cluding Sir James Paget, who was at once telegraphed for, 

 being unanimous in their opinion that their noble patient had 

 broken his neck — a fact he declined to believe until, some years 

 later, calling on Sir James Paget on another matter, the great 

 surgeon, referring to the incident, remarked, " Well, all I can 

 say is, you are one of those extraordinary people who has 

 broken his neck and recovered. Your backbone," he added, 

 " is most valuable." 



On Lord Minto saying that he would gladly leave that 

 important portion of his anatomy to him in his will, Sir James 

 replied — 



" Oh, I shall be dead long before you ; but the College of 

 Surgeons would very much like to have it, I can assure you ! " 



But, as Lord Minto laughingly remarks, ** They haven't got 

 it yet ; " and, speaking for his countless friends and admirers, it 

 is sincerely to be hoped that it will be a very long while before 

 they do. 



The muscles of his neck shrank with the effect of pulling 

 his head down on one side, and for months he was practically 

 a cripple and suffering great pain in his shoulder and arm, 

 which he has never quite lost to this day. Notwithstanding 

 that he was still weak and ill from the consequences of the fall 

 in March, he insisted on riding Weathercock at Sandown the 

 following November, with the result that he got another bad 

 fall at the fence going down the hill ; Zero, strange to say, who 

 had been bought in the interim by Lord Charles Beresford, 

 and ridden in the race by his brother. Lord Marcus, falling by 

 his side. 



Years after, " Mr. Roily " was at Catterick Bridge races, and 

 in the course of a chat with Johnnie Osborne, for whom he had 



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