BETTING AND "THE RING" 215 



the year — and this is wired down to the meetings where 

 the sport is in progress. Prices on the course, however, 

 very often differ widely from the London figures. 



A few words may be added about the pari-uiutuel, 

 which is employed in France and elsewhere, and cor- 

 responds to the " totalisator " used in the Colonies. 

 In France, there are on racecourses long rows oi pari- 

 mutuel bureaux, where the units are different sums — 

 10 francs, 20 francs, 50 francs, 100 francs, and so on. 

 The backer goes to that at which he can stake the 

 money he proposes to venture, and finds on the ledge 

 in front of the machine a printed card with the horses' 

 names on it, and a number before each. He puts 

 down his money and mentions the number, not the 

 name, of the horse, says whether he wants one ticket 

 or more, and whether he wishes to back the animal to 

 win or for a place. Say that his idea is to have 40 

 francs on No. 5 to win and 60 francs on No. 8 for a 

 place. Going to the 20 franc bureau, he says, '' Le 

 cinq, gagnant, deux fois, et le kuit, plac^, trois fois " 

 (the formula varies slightly at different places). Five 

 tickets will be torn off separate packets fixed on 

 to a sort of case behind the clerk who is operating, 

 two from No. 5, gagnant, three from No. 8, plac^, 

 stamped in a little machine, and handed to the backer. 

 After the race, a crowd assembles at a certain spot 

 behind the stand and gazes up at a board on which 

 there presently appears a statement of the value of 

 each winning bet, calculated on a unit of 10 francs. 



