392 TURF. 



and is in fact no more tlian a palpable rob- 

 bery; as the horse, it is ah^eacly determined 

 BY THE FAMILY, is iiot to xviu, and the 

 money so betted is as certainly their own a:s 

 if already decided. 



This part of the business being transact- 

 ed, a new scene of tergiversation becomes 

 necessary : the horse being mounted, the 

 rider is whispered by the nominal owner to 

 win the first heat if he can ; this it is fre- 

 quently in his power to do easy, when he is 

 consequently backed at still increased odds as 

 the expected winner; all which proposed 

 bets ^re instantly taken by the emissaries, or 

 rather principles, in the firm. : when, to show 

 us the versatility of fortune, and the vi- 

 cissitudes of the turf, he very unexpectedly 

 becomes a loser, or perhaps rtms out of the 

 course, to the feigned disappointment and 

 affected sorrow of the owner; v/ho publicly 

 declares he has lost so many ^' score pounds 

 upon the race,'' whilst his confederates are 

 individually enua^ed in collecting' their ccr-^ 

 tainties, previous to the casting up stock 

 at the general rendezvous in the evening. 



