204 CHASING AND RACING 



jockeys), so phlaze yez 'anner uts meself pwhat thought 

 oi'd best be comin' the shortest way home, the whoilst 

 ut wuz a divirs chance they'd be givin' me ! " 



On consideration my friend whole-heartedly 

 endorsed the policy of his apprentice. 



Here is another story of crookedness, but this time 

 the alert jockey was the means of defeating the intended 

 ramp on the part of the owner. 



I happened to be in ** the provinces ** engaged in 

 the ** gentle art of the angle," in the vicinity of a local 

 racecourse, where meetings were about to be held 

 under N.H. rules. At the hotel where I was staying 

 I ran across a certain gentleman rider whose name was, 

 let us say, *' Bob Clasper.'* Bob was ** some " rider 

 over sticks and between flags, believe me ! He was 

 dead keen on the game, and went "on circuit '* to all the 

 little country meetings. When he chanced on a good 

 thing he was wont to plank down a modest stake, and 

 by so doing, managed to pay his " expenses.'* Occa- 

 sionally an " extra special " would induce him to have 

 a splash. 



Now I had done him a good turn once upon a time, 

 and he was so grateful that he implored me to give the 

 trout a rest, and to come over to the said meeting, when 

 he would put me on to something on which, as he put 

 it, I could *' wager my happy home." He proceeded; 



" Cockie, old sport, I am riding in " The Farmers' 

 Steeplechase," the last race on the card, and I am 

 sure to win. My mount is a local, a sure and safe 



