SIXTY YEARS ON THE TURF 



going to try to give my horse weight. There'll be 

 no trial if the weights are not level ! " 



Seeing that, of his vanity about his Mariner, 

 Mr. Brayley was determined, I had to give way, 

 and it was a case of 9 st. each. I expected Paul 

 Jones to win, but scarcely anticipated that he would 

 so completely smash Mariner up as to thrash him 

 by about a quarter of a mile, which he did. In 

 fact Mariner, from our standpoint, could not be 

 seen. 



*' Oh," cried Mr. Brayley, " I wouldn't have had 

 this happen for a thousand pounds ! Mariner, I'm 

 sure, has broken down ! " 



After an interval Vixen passed us, and in time 

 Mariner, with Tom Cannon drenched to the skin. 



" What's the matter, Tom ? what has happened ? " 

 called Mr. Brayley excitedly. " Has he broken 

 down ? " 



" Nothing of the kind," Tom returned. " That 

 big brute [Paul Jones] had me settled half a mile 

 from home. Mine was stone cold at the bottom of 

 the hill." 



That satisfied even ]VIi\ Brayley, who ceased his 

 lamentations, and on getting to town anticipated 

 me in the backing of my horse, with the result that 

 I was left with the " skim " of the market. No 

 more than 7 to 4 was laid at flag-fall, and that price 



200 



