loo THE SPORTING WORLD. 



candour say gentlemen much more frequently are 

 unable to pay the bets they have lost, or ask 

 for time to do so, than does the betting man. 

 In fact, differing from the observation I have 

 quoted, I would, in a general way, rather (on 

 the score of certainty of payment) have a large 

 bet with a known betting man than with a 

 gentleman; let me repeat I impugn not the 

 honourable intentions of gentlemen, but I go on 

 this principle ; the betting man very rarely 

 risks more than he can pay if he loses, gentle- 

 men very frequently do from feeling a certainty 

 of winning. The betting man knows too well the 

 uncertainty of racing to do this. He sometimes 

 bets to an enormous amount and gets "hit 

 hard," but he is too shrewd to risk all; he 

 takes care to have enough behind to keep 

 going while he waits his chance for a hit in 

 his favour. Thus we see on a settling day the 

 betting man coolly paying away his tens, 

 twentys, fiftys, and hundreds as a matter of 



