156 IRiOino IRecoUections anb Tlwvt Stories 



race the next afternoon. This was the race that 

 I won on her, and Mr. Potter was so generous 

 as to put me on ^lo to nothing. It afterwards 

 turned out they had actually three, if not four, 

 winners in the same race, had it come off as they 

 expected. First they laid against ' Mystery ' in 

 Tattersall's ring, then they backed her in the out- 

 side ring, first past the post. A well-known book- 

 maker was also trying to bet after the winner's 

 number was up, and one of his friends came up 

 and said : 



" Mr. — — , the numbers are up." 



He had his back to the board, "kidding" that 

 he did not see. He turned on him at once, and 

 told him to mind his own business, and he knew 

 what he was doing. I saw Jem Potter very soon 

 afterwards. He said he would bet anything the 

 winner got it. I told him I knew a friend — it was 

 Lord Kesteven — who had backed the mare, and 

 would hedge any of his money, as well as his own ; 

 but he swore to me that it was correct, and I un- 

 fortunately believed him, and made some of my 

 friends lose their money. 



When everything was sifted and discovered, one 

 saw there never was a more cleverly arranged 

 "plant," if it had but come off. This is how it came 



