114 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



watched by the reporters. I therefore arranged 

 with Sir Joseph that he should on this occasion 

 alight at Whitchurch. He happened to be the 

 only passenger who got out of the train there, and 

 when he gave up his ticket at the exit, was ap- 

 proached by the driver of a pony trap. ** Can 

 I have the honour of taking you. Sir Joseph ? '* 

 asked the man, who had been a postboy at the 

 Stockbridge Inn, and so knew by sight many of 

 the magnates of the Turf. Sir Joseph was, of 

 course, afraid our plans to ensure secrecy had 

 been unmasked; but his alarm was needless. 

 The driver of the trap was not in league with 

 the touts. On reaching the Downs he was 

 dismissed, and Sir Joseph walked to the 

 rendezvous. 



In the meantime we at Kingsclerc had been 

 compelled to resort to desperate measures in 

 order to defeat the pertinacious touts, who had 

 learned that the trial was to take place on the 

 morning of May 12. The previous evening 

 they took possession of an old toll-house on the 

 Overton road, about half a mile from the stables. 

 We usually went along this road when going to 

 the Downs in the morning, and the touts expected 

 to catch us, no matter how early we were astir. 

 They had a liberal supply of refreshment and a 

 pack of cards wherewith to while away the hours 

 of waiting. Unknown to them, one of my 

 servants had watched their movements, and told 



