184 THE RACING WORLD 



*' The field a pony ! " is the current offer when 

 the numbers are hoisted, and business is at once 

 brisk. 



" Have you backed the good thing ? " someone 

 who is writing down a bet in his book asks our 

 friend. 



" No, I haven't, and I'm not going to. I'm 

 told it isn't really fancied," our backer says. 



'* Don't you believe it ! " says the suspicious 

 punter ; " they're up to their eyes in it. I know T' 



" Well, ' returns our backer, rather nettled at 

 the air of contempt and of superior knowledge in 

 the other, " the owner himself is my informant, 

 and he thinks, I don't mind telling you, that 

 Barleymow is sure not only to beat him, but to 

 win." 



The incredulous one shakes his head and looks 

 at our friend with an expression of scorn : of course 

 he really knows nothing, but he fancies he knows 

 a lot, and meantime jt^ to 40 is being freely taken, 

 4 to I bar one ; our backer finds someone to lay 

 him 9 to 2 against Barleymow, and presently the 

 real facts begin to extend more or less on both 

 sides of the rails, 6 to 4, 11 to 8, 5 to 4, 11 to 10 

 are taken, Barleymow creeps up to 9 to 4, 10 to i 

 bar two ; nobody will indeed make an offer against 

 Barleymow during the last few moments, and he 



