CHASING AND RACING 271 



St. Simon could have given this one two stone and 

 lost her ! 



A propos St. Simon, this equine wonder was the 

 means of landing me my first substantial wager. To 

 narrate the circumstance I must go back to my salad 

 days. 



It was Gold Cup day at Ascot, 1884. I had been 

 betting in humble sovereigns to begin with. It was 

 a black Ascot for me when Thursday arrived, for in an 

 attempt to ** get home " I had begun what to me, in 

 those days, counted as desperate plunging, and so I 

 found myself over ;£300 on the wrong side of the book. 

 A mere trifle you will say, but believe me, I did not so 

 regard it at the time. I consulted a certain noble lord 

 of my acquaintance who had the reputation of being an 

 infallible judge of form. He said : 



** I don*t advise you to plunge ; but there is a 

 certainty to-day. Barring accidents St. Simon is sure 

 to win the Cup.'' 



Of course I myself felt confident of the colt's ability 

 to score, but my friend's pronouncement heartened me 

 to desperation. So I sought out Fry. 



** What can I lay you St. Simon for the Cup } " 

 I asked. 



** Take you seven pounds to four, sir." The 

 leviathan was accustomed to my modest investments. 



" I'll lay you ;^7oo to ;£400," I said casually. 



Fry never moved a muscle of his countenance, but 

 turned quietly to his clerk ; 



