A Sportsman at Large 63 



gun-maker informed me that snipe were often to be found on 

 the flats of the Severn, so I made several expeditions with 

 the youthful Theo in attendance ; but devil a snipe or any 

 other considerable bird or beast, either, for the matter of 

 that did I see. But one day I stood on the ditch in awed 

 astonishment and excitement, watching the first horse race 

 that ever came within my ken. I went home carrying the 

 deadly infection with me. 



Otherwise my leisure hours were spent in poring over 

 novels of a sporting or amorous nature, and in the evenings 

 attending the theatre, where I saw so many bad plays that 

 imagining I could write better I wasted much ink and 

 paper in the endeavour, and actually had the effrontery to 

 send the libretto of one of my feeble efforts to Messrs. David 

 James and Thomas Thorne, who, at that time, presided over 

 the fortunes of the Vaudeville Theatre. It goes to the credit 

 of their kind hearts that, instead of consigning my ridiculous 

 script to the waste paper basket, they expended a twopenny 

 stamp in order to return it to its author. Moreover, they en- 

 closed a short note thanking him " for allowing them to see it." 



Then I bethought me of a kind of classic revue, founded on 

 Homer's " Illiad " which should be enacted in the " Theatre 

 Royal Back Drawing Room/' when Christmas time should 

 arrive ; but as its producer required the Girdlestone girls to 

 wear tights, his ambitious play was promptly banned by the 

 parental censors. So that was that ! 



But as Spring came round Charlie Stook, who had occupied 

 second thwart in the Clare II. boat, bethought him to get 

 together a four that should disport itself on the local stretch 

 of the Severn, which at that point was both narrow and 

 tortuous. 



Being a light weight (about 8. 4.) I was inveigled into 

 acting as cox. I took to it as a duck to water, and what 

 I learnt under Charlie's tuition stood me in good stead when 

 I became a Member of the First Trinity Boat Club. 



Now that I have reached this point I may as well go ahead 

 and deal with what befel me during my varsity career, for 

 there is not much more to be said about my sojourn under 

 my godfather's roof. 



