CHAPTER XII 



A sample of a young sportsman's life in London — A near thing for the Oaks at 

 Epsom, and a close shave for the Oaks at Amstead. 



The season concluded, our liero took his departure from 

 Melton, but not without havini^ hired most convenient apart- 

 ments for the forthcoming one, together with a ten-stalled 

 stable for his horses, being resolved on adding four others to 

 his number, as well as replacing those who could not do the 

 trick. In fact, he was now spoiled for riding anything second- 

 rate, and Bowman and the General were the only two that he 

 intended to keep for the ensuing year. 



Between his arrival at Amstead, and ' the Derby,' a period 

 of as much note in the almanack of a sportsman as Whit- 

 suntide or Easter in that of others, nothing occurred to our 

 hero sufficiently worthy of record, unless it be the receipt 

 of the two following letters at about the end of the first fort- 

 night : — 



' Grosvenor Square, Sunday, April 19. 



' Dear Raby, — 



' Your account of your doings at Melton delighted me, but 

 not so much as that I have heard from others of your per- 

 formance over the country, and the good impression you left 

 behind you on the people. They all say " you will do," and 

 enough is expressed in those few words. I saw your fillies a 

 few days back, and I really think you have a chance. Trueman 

 says he has tried them high (such are his words), and that 

 Rouge is the second best two-year-old he ever had in his stable. 

 I am just come from Tattersall's, and find they are both in the 

 betting; Rouge at only 12 to 1 — Euphrosyne at 25. You 

 should employ some one to lay out a hundred for you, chiefly 

 on Rouge, from what Trueman says. He has taken the odds 



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