204 THE RACING WORLD 



outsider was coming in for support which might 

 arise from dangerous quarters. So the tick-tack 

 man fulfils his function. He has nothing directly 

 to do with me, and so I only note him as a 

 curiosity to be watched when I have tirrie to 

 watch him, which means to catch a casual glimpse 

 of him now and then. 



The Editor's request is that I should " say some- 

 thing about welshers, about making a book, 

 explain what a ' ^Cs^o book ' is, for example, and 

 about the operation of skinning the lamb — with- 

 out waxing too jubilant about the last." 



Welshers : They are not so prevalent as they 

 used to be ; indeed, their proceedings grew such a 

 scandal that a means of suppressing them — more 

 or less — became indispensable. Nowadays a very 

 few ply their calling at the busiest meetings, and I 

 believe their chief method of evading trouble, 

 when a backer who has paid ready money goes to 

 them to receive his due, is to reply politely to the 

 demand : " I will send you a cheque, sir, if you 

 will kindly give me your address." The victim 

 usually gives it, hoping for the best, and with 

 the dissipation of his hopes the matter ends. 

 Formerly these men were bolder, the rings were 

 less carefully kept, and by no means so fierce a 

 light beat upon the racecourse at large. Rogues 



