CHAPTER XLIII 



PAST AND PRESENT LAYERS 



Alec Harris and " The Major " — " Me and You Private " — Advantage 

 of Manners — The Late George Cooper — Nature's Gentleman and 

 the Nobleman — Loo Levy — Honour in the Ring — Backing a Small 

 Man — My Expected Cheque 



The late Alec Harris, who left well over one hundred 

 thousand pounds, and had a charming house in 

 Bloomsbury Square, could be very humorous on 

 occasions, especially in the intervals of racing, when he 

 felt that something was necessary to brighten up things. 

 He was perpetually being asked for quotations from 

 a man who was known in Tattersalls as "The Major," 

 and he was a major. He would come up when Harris 

 was busy and ask for a quotation. " What price So- 

 and-so, Harris ? " but never had a bet. One day at 

 Epsom he had put the usual queries, but there happened 

 to be a long wait, with nothing much doing. " 'VMiat 

 price Blank ? " asked the Major. " Six to one," said 

 Harris; "six pounds to one pound. Major. Come on. 

 Major; me and you private; never mind the book." And, 

 as the gallant officer moved away, Harris stepped down 

 from the rails and followed him all over the ring, 

 calling out : "Here you are, Major; don't go anywhere 

 else ; six pounds to one pound that one, me and you 

 private, you know private, nothing to do with the book. 

 You don't seem to understand," he added, as he almost 

 ran after the rapidly disappearing punter : " we and 

 you.'' But the Major had skidooed, never again to put 

 a ridiculous query to the well-known layer of odds. 

 One of Harris's daughters is married to Arthur 

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