THE TURF 87 



first. Yet so adroit was Captain Vernon in 

 hedging his bets, that if one of the two 

 colts that made it a dead heat had beaten, 

 our master would, on that occasion, have 

 won ten thousand pounds: as it was, he lost 

 nothing, nor would in any case have lost any- 

 thing. In the language of the turf, he stood 

 ten thousand pounds to nothing! A fact so 

 extraordinary to ignorance, and so splendid 

 to poverty/ continues Holcroft, ' could not 

 pass through a mind like mine without 

 making a strong impression, which the tales 

 told by the boys of the sudden rise of 

 gamblers, their empty pockets at night, and 

 their hats full of guineas in the morning, 

 only tended to increase.' 



And in truth it was not without effect; 

 for poor Holcroft began betting next morn- 

 ing, and before the week ended half of his 

 year's wages were gone ! Another staunch 

 hero of the turf was the late Earl of Cler- 

 mont, the breeder of Trumpator, from 

 whom were descended all the ators of after 

 days, viz., Paynator, Venator, Spoliator, 

 Drumator, Ploughator, Amator, Pacificator, 

 etc. ; besides which he was the sire of 

 Sorcerer, Penelope, Tuneful, Chippenham, 



