98 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



before Sir Joseph Hawley's horse won the St. Leger, Wells 

 appeared in an Alpine hat with several feathers, a suit of 

 clothes made from a Gordon plaid, and a pair of red 

 morocco slippers ! When he arrived on the course, about 

 seven o'clock in the morning, every one roared with 

 laughter. Wells, however, didn't mind a bit. 



I think Custance is wrong in stating that 

 Wells appeared in this extraordinary garb at 

 Doncaster. He was so dressed, looking like a 

 harlequin, one day at Newmarket, when he " rode '* 

 a walk-over for Sir Joseph. Some one suggested 

 that Wells was offending the proprieties. " Oh," 

 replied Sir Joseph, " I don't care how he dresses; 

 he's a good enough jockey for me." 



One Sunday afternoon at Newmarket Mr. 

 George Payne and Admiral Rous came round 

 to have a look at our horses. Wells was there, 

 tremendously dressed. Mr. Payne, after eyeing 

 him up and down, said, ** You t^o look a swell." 

 Whereupon came the rejoinder from the jockey, 

 delivered in quite a superior tone: " My tailor 

 makes my clothes for nothing. It is not often 

 he comes across a figure like mine to fit them on. 

 I am a walking advertisement for him." 



Wells had grown very tall. He lived freely 

 when not required to keep his weight down, 

 and the two things together caused him to have 

 to waste hard during the racing season. This, 

 no doubt, shortened his life. He died July 17, 

 1873. Custance writes : 



