ChJtcc ^olti. 157 



mail, en route for the sporting centre alluded to. 



He was not long, when that was reached, in 

 knocking up the sender of his message, and as time 

 was very precious, and, indeed, money in this case, 

 they mutually lost none, but hastened as soon as the 

 grey morn broke to a certain repository to inspect the 

 stud of an enterprising Irishman, which were stand- 

 ing there at the time. The helpers were not a little 

 astonished at having such unusually early visitors, 

 but a few shillings soon paved the way to their 

 civility, and on a certain grey having been stripped 

 and pronounced " about the ticket," one of them 

 very cheerfully scuttled off at best pace to arouse its 

 owner, who was peacefully sleeping off the effects 

 of the previous night's whiskey at an adjacent and 

 third-rate hostelry. But Mr. O'Flaperty was nothing 

 if not a business man, so he did not, when he had 

 ascertained the reason of his early summons, swear 

 more horribly than the ordinary run of mortals would 

 have done under like circumstances, but quickly 

 proceeded, after a hasty toilet — for he was not am- 

 phibious — to join the gentlemen whom we have so 

 unceremoniously left in consultation at the stables. 



After but little delay, the horse in question was then 

 bought and sold, and Tom, minus fifty-five guineas 

 and some suitable "bonus" to his co-operator, was, a 

 few hours later on, bowling along with his new charge 



