3IO JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



large expanse of waistcoat, on which a watch- 

 chain hung conspicuously. Graham pointed out 

 the great risk he was running, but the man pooh- 

 poohed the idea that his watch was in danger; 

 he had, he said, been racing all his life and never 

 lost anything. Graham thought he would teach 

 him a lesson. He arranged for some of the 

 Birmingham " boys " to get his friend*s watch, 

 and promised that he would redeem it with a 

 *' fiver.'* Before many minutes elapsed the watch 

 had been stolen. The loser went to Graham, 

 looking very crestfallen. ** What did I tell you ? 

 You have only yourself to blame,** was all the 

 sympathy he got. Graham, however, promised 

 he would do his best to recover the watch, and, 

 thoroughly enjoying the practical joke he had 

 played, went off to redeem the " swag.** " Very 

 sorry, Mr. Graham, but we were so hard pressed 

 we had to pass the * ticker * on to the London 

 division, and they'll want more than a ' fiver.* ** 

 It cost Graham a pretty penny to get his friend's 

 watch back, but he was in honour bound to pay 

 the sum demanded. 



Two more watch stories come to my mind. 

 The late Mr. James Weatherby was one day 

 mounting his cob at the back of the stand at 

 Epsom towards the close of the afternoon's 

 racing, when he was suddenly surrounded by a 

 gang of roughs who held his arms up while they 

 cleared his pockets. While the robbers were 



