TOUCHING A PACKET 



don't leave him for a minute if you can help it. He 

 does all the commissions for the American jockeys. 

 If you see what he backs, or can get to talk to him, let 

 me know and we'll win a packet." Some years before 

 I might have listened : however, I had just been 

 elated over backing a winner, and was rude enough 

 to laugh in his face. He looked like showing his teeth, 

 but laughed himself and walked away. But it came 

 off, I can tell you, on a great many occasions with others, 

 but your Uncle Dudley had experienced some in his 

 green days years before. 



It is doubtful whether any of them ever made a 

 shilling after dinner-time, those they met being chiefly 

 their own friends ; and pleasure-loving Paris attracts 

 all the foreigners to dinners, suppers and talk. Be- 

 sides which, if a man wanted to gamble he had no 

 need to play in a private room ; there was the attrac- 

 tion if desired at the clubs, as I have explained. 



The Ring was taken on very cleverly once or twice ; 

 it was usually through an introduction, this being 

 engineered very cleverly. There was one man who 

 had three successive winning weeks, the first was 

 six thousand louis, the second about three thousand, 

 and the third not quite so much. Then he plumped 

 down, owing five thousand (one hundred thousand 

 francs). He bought a car with some of the ready he 

 had left, and left Paris. Yes, the ring had indeed 

 one or two jolts. 



The most extraordinary case, but not suggested in 

 any way by the playful little games I have recounted, 

 was that of a foreign owner who " delayed himself " 

 in getting to the course one Sunday, on which day 

 the weekly settling took place. No bookmaker was 

 allowed to accept any money when the numbers went 

 up for the first race. It was a very strict rule, drafted, 



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