DUFTON, the old-time professional, is now but a memory, mainly called to mind by the few who know that he was billiard coach to the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward.
There is a good and little-known story about what happened when Dufton took over his duties as the royal billiard tutor. Like many other billiard beginners, the royal pupil was much more interested in individual strokes, particularly of the fancy variety, than he was in the drudgery necessary to gain proficiency in break-building.
While the lessons were supposed to be in progress, the prince, when he began to get bored, used to amuse himself by placing the balls in all sorts of odd position, and asking Dufton to teach him the right shot to play. Dufton did his loyal best; but at last there came a time when the young prince arranged the balls in a most terrible tangle." What is the best thing to do now, Dufton? "he asked.
Dufton looked hard and earnestly at the lie of the balls. The red tight against a cushion was at one end of the table, the white, also tight-up, at the other end, with the cue-ball somewhere between, and offering a despairing angle for any chance of a score." When the balls lie like that, your royal highness, there's only one thing to do."
Dufton said, at last, after pondering over the position in silence.
"What is that, Dufton?" "Hit 'em hard, they've got no pals."
The prince, of course, retained his interest in billiards. He was present when the youthful Cook defeated old John Roberts in the first match for the Championship ever played.
Afterwards, he did not patronise professional matches in public, but was often present when the leading cuemen were engaged to play at private houses. On one such occasion, John Roberts was booked to entertain the company at the country house of a sporting nobleman.
The Prince of Wales was the guest of honour, and Lily Langtry, the Jersey Lily, was among the brilliant folk who thronged the house. After dinner, the men adjourned to the billiard room, where Roberts was ready to give his show. The prince noticed him at once, and, after a word to his host, said to the old wizard of the cue." I have something new for you to-night, Roberts.
We have all seen you play your wonderful billiards, but I have a match for you on terms you never heard of before. Lily Langtry is here, you will play her fifty-up level, the conditions being that I nominate every stroke you are to play, while the lady scores all she can in the usual run of the game."
Roberts agreed with a smile, and, as the game went on, the prince made him go out for all kinds of shots which were either impossible, or the next thing to it. Sometimes, however, the shot was not so impossible as the prince thought it was, and Roberts earned repeated applause by scoring when it seemed any odds against. Like the great showman he was, Roberts saw his chance to display his power of cue and mastery of the game to unexpected advantage, and never tried harder in his life than he did to make every shot the prince" nominated."
The lady won by a few points, which was exactly as it should have been, and Roberts was very pleased with the result. His show on this occasion was remembered to his advantage by many" front-seat "patrons who saw it, and kept him in mind for future private engagements which were decidedly lucrative.