274 



THE RACING WORLD 



They are shrewdly observant, too, our racegoers. 

 " Do you know anything ? " says White to 

 Black, employing the accustomed formula. 



" I know that Stripes will win one of the 

 handicaps to-day," Black replies, with a confident 

 pride in his powers of perception. 



" But which of them ? What does he ride ? " 

 White eagerly inquires, with a growing conviction 

 that he is on the track of something special. 



" I don't know what he rides, but it is in at 

 about 7 St. 4 lb. or 7 st. 5 lb. ; and he will win ! " 

 says Black. 



" How do you mean you don't know ? Who 

 told you about it ? " the mystified White desires 

 to be informed, and he is more mystified still when 

 Black says that no one has told him anything. 



" Well, then, I don't understand. What do 

 you — " he begins, and Black becomes communi- 

 cative. 



" Why, it's just this," he explains. " I was on 

 the Cheveley road yesterday evening, and Stripes 

 passes me in sweaters going a good seven miles an 

 hour. I saw him go into the Turkish bath at ten 

 o'clock this morning, and he didn't come out till 

 past twelve. ' Wants to get three or four pounds 

 off ! ' I says to myself. Well, he was riding 7.9 

 yesterday, so that means he's trying to do about 



