THE LINCOLNSHIRE 



ally fights, the theatres, and — well, something not 

 four-legged. I kept receiving letters in the early 

 part of March reminding me exactly when the Lincoln- 

 shire Handicap was. Some of them I didn't even 

 reply to, but I did send cables to Lord William and to 

 Huggins to say that I was sailing on a certain date. 

 I had timed it to a nicety, reckoning that I could 

 arrive at Southampton and that I could get to Lincoln 

 for the big race. There was no trouble in crossing, but 

 I imagine they were rather upset when I didn't turn 

 up on the opening day of the season. I was there in 

 good time on the Tuesday. 



They told me exactly what my 9 to 1 chance was 

 likely to do. There would be a big field — in fact 

 twenty ran, a larger muster than there had been for a 

 few years previously. I hadn't been on Knight of the 

 Thistle, as I have explained, but I admired the horse 

 when I saw him and I liked him still better when he 

 swung down to the post with me. But at the post 

 I found out what a devil he was at the start. He was 

 a very actor before he began his business, in fact a 

 mean sort of horse, and I had any amount of trouble 

 with him. 



Lord William had said to me before the race : " Are 

 you fit ? " 



I answered, " Yes." 



" Have you been doing any riding ? " 



" Yes, in hansom cabs," and I added that I didn't 

 intend to change my methods for I always did well 

 when starting off a season. 



" W^ell, there you are ; if you think you are all right 

 I suppose you ar^." 



To make a long story short, " The Knight " fiddled 

 me about at the post, where we were for some time 

 with the wind blowing colder even than I had experi- 

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