CHASING AND RACING 255 



bluff and to laugh off his predicament as a kind of joke ; 

 but a bet is a bet, and he had taken his chance. It 

 seems that hardly a favourite had won on " the Downs," 

 and most of the winners were of the " 100-8 " or 

 " 20- 1 others " category. I believe that the wager 

 was in the end settled for a matter of " a monkey." 



