CHAPTER L 



THE WHIPPET 



To those of us who know the Midlands and the North 

 Country, the sight of two or three whippets follow- 

 ing at the heels of working men is very familiar. 

 These miniature Greyhounds are highly prized, and 

 racing handicaps are common occurrences on the 

 weekly holiday. Certainly we much prefer him run- 

 ning against his fellows on the track to chasing 

 turned-down rabbits in an enclosure. Happily this 

 form of so-called sport is gradually becoming 

 obsolete, and the sooner it is a thing of the past 

 the better. To call it sport is, indeed, a misnomer, 

 for what chance has the poor rodent, scared to death 

 in unwonted surroundings, and quite incapable of 

 eluding his pursuers ! It would be gratifying to 

 see the whole thing prohibited by Act of Parliament. 

 Whippet racing, however, is quite another matter, 

 and is perfectly harmless in itself, the only objection- 

 able feature being that at many meetings it is 

 attended by a low-class betting crowd. In itself the 

 racing is exciting enough ; for we know that the dogs 

 will run fairly, each striving to do his best, and 

 the speeds attained are truly remarkable. En- 

 deavours t.Q acclimatise the sport in the South of 



