RACEGOERS AND RACEGOING 279 



struck a stranger as curious. I pointed out to him 

 that the bookmaker and I both knew what was 

 favourite ; that I often betted a pony on such a 

 race, and he suggested the sort of bet he was 

 accustomed to lay me ; that we both, again, knew 

 what was second favourite, especially as some of 

 the other bookmakers were calling out its name 

 and offering 5 to i, or indeed 9 to 2 ; but my 

 friend shook his head, and was much astonished 

 when I assured him that any sort of discrepancy 

 between the figures of bookmaker and backer at 

 the weekly settling was extremely rare. 



There is one subject upon which every man 

 who goes racing could enlarge, and that is " good 

 things." Sometimes the memory is most agree- 

 able. In other cases the result has been dis- 

 tressing, heart-breaking at the time ; but there is 

 perhaps a humorous side when one looks back 

 upon it. A flood of examples occur to me — more 

 of one sort than of the other — but I think one that 

 stands out is connected with Doncaster. A few 

 years ago I was the guest, at York Cavalry 

 Barracks, of a very particular friend in one of the 

 cheeriest regiments in the service. To describe 

 what delightful quarters they were and what a 

 good time one had is not a necessary part of the 

 narrative. On the course, however, things were 



