94 ON THE FRONTIEB* 



and the old squire mollified his feelings with several " four 

 fingers of it," and by improvising and delivering a full, 

 elaborate, and original commination service against the 

 local horse, his owner, his rider, his starter, the judges, 

 and everybody and everything, ending by saying that the 

 local horse \y,as a "bilk," and that he, Simon S., had a 

 sucking-colt not yet six months old, who could that day 

 week, over that very course, beat him for double the 

 money. As he said this he produced a fat pocket-book, 

 pulled out notes to the amount, and flourished them in the 

 air. He was told to " shut up," and not talk stuff and 

 nonsense. Everybody knew a colt of that age could not 

 carry a rider. This only seemed to aggravate the squire. 

 He rejoined, with a fresh string of k new oaths, that his 

 colt had more sense than Chieftain and his owner taken, 

 together ; that he could run against and beat him without 

 a rider or being led ; and if anybody thought he (the colt) 



could not, and that he (Simon S.) was a fool, why, let 



them just " cover his money." Old Simon was evidently 

 very drunk. 



The owner of the losing horse, nettled by these remarks, 

 smarting under his late defeat and loss of money, and con- 

 sidering that it was old Simon's look-out that he was under 

 the influence of liquor, not his, produced the necessary coin, 

 and took the bet. Of course a crowd had gathered round, 

 and the squire's friends interfered, insisting he was not 

 in a responsible state, and the bet must be considered off. 

 Upon this old Simon got in a rage, and stated, in his usual 

 impressive style, he would make it " a personal matter " with 

 anyone who interfered 



