Sportascrapiana

180 sroirrAscaArL\N_1. dinner: rump steak, or mutton (no vegetables), bread, and sherry (no smoking). In the afternoon take a straggling walk of two or three miles across the fields, throwing stones, or shooting (skittles if you like), or other amusement or occupation, to keep the muscles in action; not too severe exertion of any kind, for fear of stiffness. Run the distance for which the match is made, about every third day at top speed. Take dry toast and tea about six o'clock. This repeated every day. " ltelhod of timing. -After your man has been in train- ing about a week, measure the distance. Place a prac- tical man with one of M'Cabe's stop-watches at the finishing point, with his eye on the feet of his man, and from the first motion of the ° spirter' set the watch off, still keeping his eye immovably on his man's feet, with his thumb nail on the stop-watch, and directly he steps on the scratch of finish, either one or the other side, stop the watch, and you can tell to a beat what your man has done. If the timer should have his eye on the man, in- stead of his feet, lie is very likely to lose time, as the foot starts before the arms or body, and finishes the same. " Starting by mutual consent or by pistol. -Your man should stand on the mark, with his face to his opponent, perfectly upright. Here you will at once see the dif- ference between a professional and a novice. The eye of the former tells him whether his opponent means going or not, and if he can start before his opponent's muscles become stiffened, generally gets the lead of half a yard. This doubtless seems curious to the unpractised, how a man can got half a yard start when both men take seven-feet strides, or at all events within three