HOW I WON MY HANDICAP 185 



grounds, Stockton, will meet with immediate atten- 

 tion." I was quite struck, and said I wondered 

 what " Old Tubby " would think if he knew. Locker 

 said, " Go ask him for thy indentures, and if he 

 won't give 'em up, ask him what he'll tak for 'em." 

 So I did, and if I hadn't been in such a hurry, he'd 

 have thrown 'em at me, and said he was glad to get 

 rid of an idle rascal. As it was, I told him I'd 

 something else to do, and he demanded £3 for my 

 release. Locker gave me the money next day, and 

 I soon put the indentures in the fire ; thanking my 

 stars for the escape. After this I lived at Locker's 

 altogether, and in two or three days an answer 

 came from the " Novice," to say he'd give 2 yards 

 start in 150. Well, that didn't seem to suit 

 Locker, so he replied, through the paper again, that 

 " Sooner than not run again, his lad should run the 

 'Novice' 100 yards level at Kenham grounds for 

 £25 a side. To run in three weeks." Articles 

 came and were signed on these terms. Then he 

 said, " Thou needn't train at all, though I want thee 

 to win this time by nearly a yard ; just stay a bit 

 longer than before, and don't let him quite catch 

 thee. Make a good race of it, but be sure and win." 

 We often went to the old spot on the turnpike, and 

 once he took a tape and measured the ground. He 

 had stepped it within a yard and a half. At last 



