92 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



about lo St. in the winter months. During 

 the racing season he therefore found it necessary 

 to do a little " wasting ** each day in order to 

 keep his weight within reasonable limits. On 

 the Monday afternoon he walked about four 

 miles out of Doncaster, to a village where some 

 friends of his lived. Instead of returning at 

 once to Doncaster, as he had intended to do, 

 he was persuaded to stay the night, and sat up 

 into the small hours of the morning playing cards. 

 He walked back next day, reaching the course 

 just in time to weigh out, at 9 st. 6 lb., for a 

 horse named Xi, whom I saddled for the first 

 race. His mount ran " nowhere." Wells 

 finished without his irons, and I wondered what 

 was the matter. I was not, however, able to 

 make inquiries, because at that very moment a 

 terrific thunderstorm burst over the course. I 

 had given orders which would have resulted 

 in Blue Gown being brought from his stable 

 in the town to the paddock within the next few 

 minutes, and, wishing him to miss the heavy 

 rain, I borrowed a hack and hurried away to 

 stop the colt until the storm was over. It did 

 not last long, but when I returned to the course 

 with Blue Gown I learned that Wells had already 

 weighed out. He had to " do '' 8 st. 10 lb., 

 and I asked Mr. Manning, the Clerk of the 

 Scales, if everything was in order. He assured 

 me it was. I had no reason to doubt it. Wells 



