CHASING AND RACING 157 



** Teddy Wilson, Captain.** 



(Mr. E. P. Wilson the celebrated amateur of Grand 

 National fame.) 



" Well, your other patrons are not giving anything 

 away on the score of jockeyship are they ? ** 



** That's just it. They think that Wilson will 

 outride you. But there, you know how to handle old 

 Weasel better than any one that has ever ridden him. 

 Here's Mr. Heasman, you had better have a word 

 with him.'* 



Now I have previously stated that although the 

 Johnson and Heasman confederacy followed the sport 

 with a view to making it pay, whilst I was out for 

 personal enjoyment, I had always been met in the most 

 sportsmanlike manner as one training in the same 

 establishment. 



It could not be said of either that he was com- 

 municative, but a wink of the eye is often more 

 instructive, and sometimes distinctive, than the wagging 

 of the tongue ; so that I generally had a hint — a 

 delicate sort of hint — as to the chance of any animal 

 that the confederacy might be running. 



" Well, Mr. Heasman," I greeted him with, 

 ** looks as though our interests are likely to clash. 

 Why not stand down with Hugger Mugger and back 

 Weasel ? Even our friend Prince here, says that 

 there is nothing in it between them.*' 



" Sorry, Captain, but ours is very fit just now, which 

 is not often the case ; so we must strike whilst the 



