140 MEN OF PAST DAYS. 



my father was in the saddle for the Oaks. For, con- 

 trary to the generally received opinion, I do not think 

 that the change of jockeys affected her running, or 

 that bod riding lost the Derby. It may be remembered 

 that this was the case in which Lord George Bentinck 

 undertook to interfere, and proceeded so far as to 

 carry out a lawsuit, in which he failed, as I have fully 

 related. But in respect to the jockeyship of the race, I 

 have a little tale to tell, which may remind some of my 

 readers, from their own experience, how needful it is 

 to be chary of uttering a pronounced opinion in com- 

 pany we know nothing of. Treen, on his way to 

 London, was asked by a perfect stranger if he had 

 been to the Derby. On his answering that he had 

 been, the other went on to say : 



' Then I suppose you saw the jockey nearly fall on 

 Deception, and lose the race.' 



Treen could not stand this. It was too touchingly 

 effective ; and he replied sharply : 



' I rode her myself !' 



' Ah,' said the stranger, ' I did not see the race, 

 but heard some one say so! It just shows how 

 stories do get circulated, and how people believe 

 them.' 



This, I think, must be regarded in the light of a 

 rejoinder turning an awkward conversation into 

 another channel, as very neat indeed. 



Mr. Craven was curious in the way he described 

 himself, as in other things. He would allow neither 



