26 TALES OF THE TURF AND THE CHASE. 



fellow ' Tyke,' Ben Smith, who was never known to lose his 

 temper but once, John Jackson was, at the best of times, disposed 

 to be quarrelsome ; and had any one run against him in his 

 present unamiable frame of mind, he would probably have fared 

 as badly as a certain sweep at Catterick, who had the misfortune 

 to meet John in one of his tantrums, and received a severe mill- 

 ing for merely smiling at him. As the morning passed on, the 

 veteran jockey becafne more and more sullen and ill-tempered, 

 and when at last he walked to the ground with his saddle at his 

 back and his whip in his hand he was in that state which is pro- 

 verbially ascribed to a bear with a sore head. He scaled in 

 gloomy silence, then asked if any one had seen M*r. Petre or his 

 groom or his horse. The answer was in the negative. Then he 

 went to the rubbing-house and repeated his inquiries. No, no 

 one had seen anything of owner or groom or horse ; but a 

 bystander remarked, 



'They say Theodore's not coming ; 'tis a hundred guineas to 

 a walking-stick against him.' 



That unlucky bystander did not soon forget the look which 

 Jackson gave him, as he ground his teeth with an oath. Surly 

 and glum, the wretched jockey betook himself to the Town 

 Moor, where several of the St. Leger horses were already being 

 walked about. Casting his keen eyes round he spied a horse at 

 the far side of the Moor, near the hedge, led by a little stable- 

 boy alone. Could that be Theodore ? He walked up and said, 



' Is that Mr. Petre's horse, my lad ?' 



* Yes, sir.' 



* Then bring him here and strip him directly.' 



Peeling his own overcoat, Jackson showed in the black and 

 pink sleeves, mounted, and recrossed the Moor. As he passed 

 through the rubbing-house gate he overheard the following dia- 

 logue between two ' swells :' 



' What horse is that ?' 



' Petre's Theodore.' 



' What will you lay against him ?' 



' A hundred to one.' 



' Done.' 



' Done.' 



' Will you double it ?" 



' No, no, I think that's plenty for once.' 



Jackson's feelings, as he heard this dialogue, may be better 

 imagined than described. He vented his rage upon Theodore, 



