CHAPTER XXIV 



ARD on the heels of dreams come strange 

 examples of prescience, presentment, 

 telepathy, premonition, or whatever you 

 choose to call those semi-occult, sub- 

 conscious phenomena which have puzzled scientists 

 from time immemorial. 



During one era of my racing career I had a dear 

 and beautiful friend who was of a highly sensitive 

 and receptive nature. She was par excellence a subject 

 for hypnotism and suggestion. I could put her into a 

 trance almost by a look, or a wave of the hand, and 

 when in a hypnotic state, she would make manifest 

 most extraordinary phenomena, among which, for 

 example, she would visualize a race, describe it minutely, 

 and name the colours of the riders. I had not the 

 least belief in her being able to foretell the ultimate 

 result of a contest which had not been run, but out of 

 curiosity I tried how the idea would work out. 



My first venture in this direction was on the eve of 

 the Prince's Handicap at Gatwick. I fancied Cabin 

 Boy, belonging to my friend Hanbury, very strongly ; 

 but my " medium " knew nothing of that, or, indeed, 

 the names of any of the horses likely to run. 



As soon as she was "off** she began a vivid 



267 



