I70 CHASING AND RACING 



advantage as regards Roscidus, who, by the way, was a 

 half-brother of the Royal Hunt Cup winner. Morion — 

 what a difference ! I have managed to forget what 

 the ultimate fate of this degenerate was — something 

 with shafts and a cart-whip in it, I hope. But I cannot 

 forget that I ever had him. He had cost me too much, 

 both morally and financially. 



I now come to a match which caused some excite- 

 ment, and which afforded a fine opportunity for wags 

 of the baser sort to indulge in airy witticisms at my 

 expense. The fact that it was brought to an issue on 

 the classic heath of " Head Quarters," * was in itself 

 sufficient to draw particular attention to it, since such 

 a thing as a private match on that sacred stretch of 

 turf had been unknown for a generation or so. More- 

 over, the knights who were to be hoisted into the 

 pigskin were of conspicuously different quality. But I 

 am anticipating. 



I happened to be travelling up from Newmarket in 

 company with the late Mr. Deacon and another, when 

 the striking and aristocratic looking owner named began 

 to chip me about the ungenerous character of Trelaske, 

 averring that the beast could not, or, rather, would not, 

 win a race at any distance, even if matched with a 

 yearling carthorse, f 



" What about your Pusher ? " I asked indignantly. 



* Newmarket. 



f Mr. Deacon was ignoring one or two of Trelaske's 

 endeavours. 



