DOYLE'S THREAT 3 7 



objection. Doyle, at all events, attributed his losing 

 the award to Wells's evidence, unquestionably correct 

 as that evidence was. D'Estournel was a pig of a 

 horse to ride. ' Rogue ! ' exclaimed Custance on one 

 occasion, when he was asked what he thought of 

 D'Estournel — ' he's no rogue. But I can tell you 

 what he is. He is an (adjectived) fool.' Doyle had 

 got him home first, anyhow, and landed a mild sort of 

 coup, for the handsome deceiver had started at 10 to 

 i, and the jockey himself no doubt had a bit on. 

 Altogether it was a sorry come-down, and, refusing 

 to be solaced by the fact that the Stewards had held 

 him personally blameless in the matter, the discom- 

 fited jockey ' swore an oath, or something as good,' 

 that he would be revenged on the witness who had 

 done him. After giving Wells the length and the 

 rough side of his tongue, which was North Riding 

 Yorkshire, his name notwithstanding, Doyle closed 

 the account between them for the time being with 

 the threat, 'I'll have you yet, Brusher!' Doyle 

 kept his word. He had. 



Wells, in common with many other jockeys, not 

 excluding Doyle himself (set a thief to catch a 

 thief), was addicted to the habit of pressing his toe 

 upon the ground, with the apparently innocent 

 desire of momentarily steadying himself in the scale 

 — literally, a touch and — go! It was 'useful,' and 

 had, no doubt, served the turn of certain adroit 

 practitioners on many occasions, in the presence of 

 an unsuspecting clerk of the scales, when they 

 happened to be 'a bit over ' the prescribed weight. 



