146 The Life of Fred Archer 
he would ever have his arm restored. Lord Falmouth and Mr. 
John Boscawen were on the Heath at the time of Archer's 
mishap, and they took the injured man to a doctor, and after- 
wards Lord Falmouth took him to the best men in London, 
but no one seemed able to do anything for him. 
" Thormanby " says, in " Kings of the Turf," that after Lord 
Falmouth's horse had bitten Archer " he was advised to see Sir 
James Paget, the eminent surgeon, who bound up the wound. 
Fred then requested to know how long it would take to heal. 
' Oh, I think in three or four weeks you will be all right,' said 
Sir James. ' But shall I be fit for the Derby ? ' Archer queried. 
' Yes, I think you may go to the Derby.' ' But you don't quite 
understand me, I think. Sir James,' Archer persisted. ' I mean 
shall I be fit to ride ? ' ' Better drive — better drive,' the 
surgeon rephed. Rather taken aback by this very innocent 
and unexpected reply, Archer had to explain : ' I fear, sir, 
you scarcely reahse who I am ! ' ' No,' said the surgeon, 
pohtely referring to the patient's visiting card, ' I see I have 
the honour of receiving Mr. Archer, but ' ' Well, Sir James, 
I suppose I may tell you, then, that what you are in your pro- 
fession I am in mine,' and then he proceeded to tell him what 
that profession was. 
" The famous surgeon, on learning the status of his visitor, 
was at once greatly interested, and asked him many questions, 
among others what would be his loss supposing he were unable 
to fulfil his Derby engagement. To which Archer replied : 
' About ;£2,ooo.' His average income he stated (if no mistake 
has been made) to be about £8,000, to which Sir James is said 
to have repUed : ' You may well say that what I am in my 
profession you are in yours. I only wish that my profession 
were half as profitable as yours.' " 
At last, one day when he was fretting his heart out 
down at home in Cheltenham, while his chances of the Derby 
and of topping the list of winning jockeys grew smaller every 
day, Archer poured out his grief to Bob Chapman. When he 
