BOOKMAKERS AND BOOKMAKING 197 



the bets his master lays, and this is no easy 

 thing to do with the perfect accuracy which is 

 so all-important ; for one mistake practically 

 involves two blunders : a bet is put down to 

 some customer to whom it was not laid, and 

 not put down to the backer who really took it. 

 A dozen backers are often trying at the same 

 time to attract the fielder's attention, especially 

 if they want to support a horse whose price is 

 shortening ; some he lays, some he refuses ; a 

 regular babel sounds in the clerk's ears, and not 

 seldom, too, questions are asked of him whilst 

 his master is busy, and distract his attention. 

 Under the circumstances it is marvellous how 

 correctly the books are kept and the accounts 

 made out ; and it is well that it should be so, 

 as mistakes often involve a vast deal of corre- 

 spondence and worry. It is particularly annoying 

 to the bookmaker when a customer claims a bet 

 that is not on your list, maintains that it was 

 certainly you who laid it, and finds out after- 

 wards that, in spite of the positiveness of his 

 assertion, it was really someone else. Many 

 bookmakers deal through a settler who is sup- 

 plied with a list of what he has to pay and to 

 receive on behalf of the backer for whom he is 

 settling ; many more send cheques on demand. 



