CHAPTER XXI 
What happened in Ireland is best described by Harry 
Custance, who in his book of recollections wrote : 
" It was just three weeks before his tragic death that 
Archer and myself went over to Ireland together. We were 
accompanied by Captain De Vere Smith, ' Garry ' Moore, 
James Henry Smith (' Jim the Penman ') and George 
Haughton. 
" Archer crossed the St. George's Channel to ride Cambus- 
more for Lord Londonderry, who was then Lord Lieutenant, 
and I went over to act as starter at the October Meeting at 
the Curragh. We arrived in Dublin on Tuesday morning, 
October 19, by the mail train, and after breakfasting and look- 
ing round the city we j ourneyed off to the Curragh . Archer had 
nothing to ride that day, but went down as a spectator. 
" A busy time he had, too, as he couldn't stir without a 
crowd of the ' bhoys ' almost mobbing him in admiration. 
As he had not been riding for a few days, and had been indulging 
a bit, he was rather anxious to know his weight, and asked me 
to go to the weighing-room with him, as he knew I had been 
over there before. We went together, and I put him in the 
scales, with his jacket and waistcoat off, and he weighed 9 stone 
4 lb. He had only a thin pair of trousers and thin boots on 
so I said, ' Why, you could only just about strip with your 
saddle.' 
" He said, ' That is just what I could do ; but never mind, 
my old horse has only 9 stone 3 lb. on, so I have only to get i lb. 
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