158 THE RACING WORLD 



muscle. That is the sort of horse that it really 

 does one good to see. What animal is that, my 

 boy .? " he inquired of the lad who was walking 

 round with his ideal. " Starter's 'ack, sir ! " the 

 boy replied. It was a fat old animal that wheezily 

 and laboriously took me to and from the post. 



There is a tale of a certain starter who entered 

 into alliance with a certain rider to enable the 

 latter to win races ; but let me emphatically add 

 that the scene here is laid in the East, where pre- 

 sumably, if morals are not freer, supervision is less 

 strict than in this country. A starter could no 

 doubt do a great deal towards ensuring success or 

 failure in the days of the flag, but this particular 

 rogue wanted to make things practically safe for 

 his friend, and hit upon a rather ingenious device. 

 It was understood between the pair that the flag 

 was to fall at the third time of asking. The field 

 got into a line, but however straight it may have 

 been, the starter turned them back at the first 

 attempt. Again they would endeavour to range 

 themselves, and again he would pretend to see 

 something that did not satisfy him and tell them 

 that it would not do. The third time, however, 

 there was to be no doubt. His friend jumped off^ 

 as hard as he could go the moment he had turned 

 his horse, when he was well on his way the flag 



