254 CHASING AND RACING 



once sumptuous office of the absconding " com- 

 mission agent." 



A propos accumulators, it happened that I was 

 witness of a rather extraordinary gamble which took 

 place on the International Gun and Polo Club shooting 

 ground at Hendon. A young " sport," whom I will 

 call "A.," asked a rather green but self-assertive 

 competitor, " B.," if he would accept " a fiver " and 

 let him, A., have a penny accumulator S.P. on all the 

 winners at Epsom (the Spring Meeting had just com- 

 menced). B. " fell for it " readily enough. 



It so happened that all the winners that day were at 

 a fairly short price, and when we met next morning 

 on the pigeon ground B. found himself over 3 in 

 pocket; but A., quite undaunted, said, " You've bested 

 me this time, B.; but look here ! I'll give you 'a 

 tenner ' to have a penny accumulator on all the winners 

 at Epsom to-day" B. rose like a famished trout. 

 When we had assembled for the final day's shoot, 

 (incidentally I may be allowed to brag that I won the 

 Cup), B. strolled up to A. " Hulloa, A.," he said, 

 " how does your penny accumulator work out to-day, 

 old sport ? I had not time to look at the returns ? " 

 " Oh ! " said A., calmly, removing his cigar from his 

 lips and knocking the ash off on the stock of his gun, 

 " I make out you owe me ^4323 2s. ^d. ! " (these were 

 not the exact figures, but they are approximate, and 

 serve to accentuate the astounding result). Of course 

 B. was flabbergasted. For the moment he tried to 



