THE HUMOURS OF THE RACECOURSE 101 



the Yankee skipper we had met at Havre. He saw 

 us on the instant. 



" Hellow, Britishers, here we air again ! I rather 

 guess this old hoss has raised the dander of some of 

 these gents. Banquo ! " he bawled out, and again 

 he swept a pile of gold towards him. " I calkerlate 

 I'm in pretty tarnation tall luck to-night. You 

 would not see me to-day ; I could not get anighst 

 you. But when I saw you bringing your hosses 

 down the track at such a tarnation pace, and win- 

 ning easy, I shies my hat up, and bawls out, ' Go it, 

 my Cockneys ; you air a-winning like greased light- 

 ning ! I knows them air Britishers,' says I, ( and 

 they can ride like great guns.' " 



'Our appearance had the effect of making him 

 leave the table, which he did, to the evident dissatis- 

 faction of the others. 



" I guess I ain't a-going to play any more, stran- 

 gers. There air a lot of chaps from Paris, and 

 thought they wur a-going to clean this old coon out ; 

 but I guess I've wiped them off pretty slick this 

 board. Let's go to the grocery, and have a cobbler. 

 And now I think of it, jist let me whisper a word in 

 your ears afore you starts for that steeplechase to- 

 morrow. Keep your mouths shut, and take a spare 

 set of stirrup-leathers with you. There air a game 

 going on that this old hoss hev got to the bottom of. 

 Good-night, my Cockneys ; and don't forget to- 

 morrow to look out for Captain Willum." 



