HOW I WON MY HANDICAP 191 



game with him. They'd " pulled " him for two 

 handicaps, and let him lose all his matches, and 

 now he had heen backed to win £600. He beat 

 me at starting, and before we got half way they 

 cried " Hooper wins." I was a good yard behind 

 him, but with a hard strain I got level, and we ran 

 shoulder and shoulder till just on the tape, where I 

 threw myself forward, with the old " Chifney rush," 

 and just won by a bare half-yard. Locker fairly 

 hugged me, and, half blind though I was with the 

 tough race, the " tykes " shoulder -heighted and 

 carried me off to the house. 



In presents, and with my share, I got £230, and 

 thought I'd put it away in the bank. But that 

 night we all had champagne, and I went to bed 

 quite queer and dizzy-like. Next day was the 

 same, and on Thursday we took train to Manchester, 

 where I was invited to stop a week or two. Locker 

 left me and went home, telling me to take care of 

 myself. I wish I'd gone too, for what with meet- 

 ing betting-men and playing cards and buying swell 

 clothes, to say nothing of dresses for a fresh sweet- 

 heart, I soon got awful " fast." Then we used to 

 sit up at nights playing " seven's the main," and I 

 wasn't lucky or summut ; but, however, in six weeks 

 I'd got through half my money. One night we 

 started cutting through the pack, and then played 



