" The Doncaster Gazette." 151 



readers, before Dick Christian and "The 

 Druid" passed away. 



I must dip again into the same lucky bag- 

 to hunt for another of Dick Christian's gems. 

 "The first ni^ht," he told his vates sctcer, "that 

 I ever slept at Melton was the night before 

 the first steeplechase that was ever run in 

 Leicestershire — mind you put that down ' 

 The race was between Lord Forester, Sir 

 Gilbert Heathcote, and Mr. Meynell. It 

 was for one hundred guineas a side ; eight 

 miles from Barkby Holt to Billesdon Coplow 

 and back again ; no rules as to gates or 

 roads, each to come as he could. It was 

 a grand race until three-quarters of a mile 

 from home. Poor Sir Gilbert ! He got 

 jammed in a bullock pen, that threw him 

 last ; and Mr. Meynell won. . . . Clinker's 

 and Clasher's, again, was a great match ; 

 they said it was for fifteen hundred guineas 

 a side. They sent for me the night before, 

 did Captain White and Captain Ross, and 

 locked me into their room ; then they gave 

 me their orders. They said, ' We mean 

 you to wait, Dick.' I says, ' You'd better 

 let me eive the horse his head, and allow 



