CHAPTER I 



DEFINING SHARPS AND FLATS 



The Ticket snatched — An Easy Mug — The Borrowed Pony— A Real 

 Race-horse — The Lying Bore 



The first bet I ever won on a race-course was a ready- 

 money transaction : I had my ticket snatched and 

 the " Hfter " drew the money, of course. That 

 experience at Windsor one afternoon caused no 

 end of inconvenience, for the return half of my 

 railway ticket also disappeared. I saw a boy of my 

 own age part with three of the finest and brightest 

 to a three-card mob in a first-class carriage on the 

 way back to town, so it was inevitable to think that 

 there were such beings as " Sharps and Flats." The 

 fact of the money which should have been drawn 

 caused temporary mental depression, and confiding 

 in one Walter Pallant, now with us no more, the 

 name of an accommodating gentleman who lent 

 money was mentioned, and there were hopes of 

 raising the wind to renew the onslaught on the 

 ring. 



Somehow a mutual friend happened to hear of the 

 intentional borrowing of the " pony," and he insidi- 

 ously suggested that it would strengthen matters if I 

 said that his name would go on the bill ; he was doing 

 this to enable me to get the oof. It would have 

 been simply rude not to have taken advantage of 

 his offer, although at the time I was quite certain 

 that the lender believed in me ; still — such a friend I 

 *' Tell your friend to come with you to-morrow morning 



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