246 THE RACING WORLD 



certainty that, if I happened to be caught, I 

 should be badly mauled. I remember being sent 

 down at one time by a bookmaker to watch the 

 doings of a prominent candidate in a small training 

 establishment. My first plan in all those touting 

 expeditions was to find out the boys in the stable ; 

 and if possible, get from one of them, by means of 

 bribes, assumed friendliness, and so forth, inform- 

 ation as to the condition of the horse, and the 

 expectations of the owner and trainer ; also if any 

 trial were likely to take place, so that I might 

 make my arrangements to watch it ; and, if I had 

 not seen the gallop myself, to find out what the 

 horse had done. At times my business was dis- 

 covered, and I was lucky if I got off with a whole 

 skin, as, taking into consideration the small 

 amount of wages boys were paid for looking after 

 horses, it was astonishing what fidelity they dis- 

 played towards their employers. It was not, let 

 me candidly admit, a business that I recall with 

 satisfaction ; but one must live — at least, the one 

 in question is apt to think so ! 



I remember once being " had " thoroughly. I 

 was watching a favourite for a big handicap, and, 

 although I did not know of it at the time, the horse 

 went wrong. It was only a small stable, and the 

 trainer used to ride himself. When the animal 



