i8o CHASING AND RACING 



long row of figures were emblazoned. One of 5000 

 to 400, many of 2000 to 160, and a whole column of 

 1000 to 80 on Blanc. 



This on Fry's book alone ! 



Roughly speaking, I believe the Ring netted 

 between 30,000 and 40,000 on this simple and 

 otherwise unimportant spin between two starters in 

 a 300 race ! 



The fact of the matter is that backers had had a 

 lamentably sorry time on the previous day's racing, and 

 this was to have been the " getting out " stakes. But 

 why the knights of the pencil were so accommodating 

 as to overlay their books, history sayeth not ; though 

 I shrewdly suspect that they had some prescience of 

 Dornroschen's real quality, or of Blanc's lack of 

 courage, and having gauged the situation accurately, 

 were quite prepared, and even anxious, to gamble, by 

 taking 100-8 on what they had quietly figured to be a 

 5-2 chance ! 



I had been doing my S.P. business with Richard 

 Fry's nephew, Walter of that ilk. Seeing an oppor- 

 tunity for pulling " the old man's " leg, I could not 

 resist the temptation. 



As " The Leviathan " was triumphantly showing 

 me his book, I asked quietly : 



" By the way, Fry, you guarantee your nephew 

 4 W. E. ' don't you ? " 



* Why, certainly, Capting. How much had you 

 on with him ? " 



