SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



I'll warn the whole lot of you off ! " The general 

 opinion was reflected by the betting on the decider, 

 4 to 1 being laid on Mr. Sykes, who won in a canter 

 by a length. 



At this time Mr. Clark owed a Mr. Hargreaves a 

 sum of £500, for which he had given a bill, then 

 overdue. Mr. Hargreaves (in his day a commercial 

 traveller) was recognised as one of the shrewdest 

 men on the Turf, and he did a deal of Jackson's 

 often undesirable work. He wasted no moments 

 in grasping the bearings of the situation ; and act 

 promptly followed thought. 



" You owe me," he said to Clark, " £500. I want it." 



Clark pleaded he couldn't pay. Hargreaves in- 

 sisted he must, or take the consequences. Clark 

 again cried in his wailing voice, that rose to a pro- 

 testing shrill, that the thing was impossible : he 

 hadn't — on his honour he hadn't — got £500. But 

 he might as well have prayed to a stone as to 

 Hargi'eaves. 



" Look here, Clark," he said, " here is a way out 

 of the difficulty. I will burn that bill, and in ad- 

 dition, here, give you a cheque for £500. All I want 

 in return is Mr. Sykes for the end of the season." 



"Oh, give me the cheque, and take him! Oh, 

 take him ! He's brought nothing but trouble to 

 me." 



62 



