THE NOBLE ART OF BACKING WINNERS 205 



giving all the money a chance each time 

 we had ^^57 in the satchell at the day's 

 end. We never had to pay over anything 

 to any extent all day. 



Coming up from Warwick to Man- 

 chester on this occasion, I remember 

 having a close ride. We scrambled into 

 a third-class carriage of the special from 

 Warwick to Manchester, after racing at the 

 former place ; and, of course, we were five 

 a side — cash bookmakers and the usual 

 motley crew. Just as the train was moving 

 off, there came tumbling through the window 

 of the locked off-side door, five riders, or 

 samples of the boys, without tickets, so 

 we were pretty thick — fifteen of us, for an 

 hour and a half's ride. When we slowed 

 up for the ticket exam, place, we stowed 

 the two fattest under each seat, put the 

 thinnest on the hat-rack, and covered with 

 mackintoshes, etc., and the other two laid 



