126 CHASING AND RACING 



Gladstone, he struggled on gamely enough to win by 

 a head. His name should have been changed to 

 Dizzy ! 



" I'm off to bid for that joker," I said to a racing 

 pal who was with me. 



" Don't you ! " he admonished. " Why, old 

 Weasel is the biggest thief of his class, which is saying 

 a lot." 



Well, I had my doubts. I had taken quite a 

 different and novel view of the race and the character 

 of the winner. 



There were few buyers about, and as the Weasel's 

 " connections " did not seem anxious to retain him, he 

 was knocked down to me for a trifling matter of ^120, 

 or thereabouts. 



I thereupon handed my new purchase to James 

 Prince, who, with his brother John, was turning out 

 more winners in this particular line of business than 

 any of their contemporaries. Already he had a filly 

 of mine which I had obtained under rather peculiar 

 circumstances. I happened to be attending a sale at 

 Tattersall's, Albert Gate, where I was on the look-out 

 for a likely nag or two to carry my hunt servants. 

 Presently a small but symmetrical " bit of blood " was 

 brought before the rostrum. Glancing at the catalogue 



1 saw that the " lot " was described as " A b. or br. f. 



2 yrs., by Laureate Clianthus, by Stockwell, untried." 

 Although at that time my pony-racing days had prac- 

 tically come to an end I could not resist bidding for 



