ME. ROBERT TOPS PROPHECY. 2o 



salmon, gold an' gammon ! Yes, my pink o' pinks," continned 

 he, " a raceoss, like a man, is valer'd accordin' to his success. 

 If he pulls through, well an' good ! If he doesn't, why in that 

 case, my bo-o-y, the pace he'll be driven to the dogs is somethin* 

 faster than a common style o' canter. I'm a-goin' to lose ye, 

 lad," repeated Mr. Top, reflectively. " The work begun in the 

 rough has now to be rounded off at the corners, an', by-an'-by, 

 the varnish put on — the finishin' touches, so to speak. They'll 

 bring ye out then, lad," contmued he, " for the Criterion ; and 

 I, your old cock chicken of a nurse, will be among the 

 proudest o' the land to see ye go to the post, jump off with the 

 lead, make all the runnin', cut down the lot, an' win, hard held, 

 just as ye like. That'll be the way, in which he'll win the Cri- 

 terion, Harry, or I'm not a prophet in 'orscliesh." 



" Yessir," responded Harry, making, as was his wont, a 

 respectful pull at the perpendicular duck's tail. 



"We mustn't lose more time, though," continued Robert. 

 " As soon as they've eaten a feed o' corn, Harry, we'll be upon 

 the road with 'em ; for the less wheels we meet or pass the 

 better, I know. You're so handy with them heels o' yours, 

 ad," continued he, giving me a playful smack upon the quarter, 

 " so very handy that I shall feel eight-stun-seven the lighter 

 when I've delivered ye safe an' sound into the hands of John 

 Sellusall. Now, Harry, be alive." 



Of a naturally quick and mercurial temperature, Harry Dale 

 no sooner received this stimulant to his energies, than he exhi- 

 bited a degree of sprightliness not dissimilar to a parched pea 

 upon a drum-head. In a twinkling of something too quick to be 

 seen, my water and corn were brought, I was rubbed down, 

 Toby was thrust into a small covered basket which had been 

 prepared for his reception ; a small, round, hard bundle, the 

 outward appearance of which was a blue and wliite cotton 

 handkerchiefs— for Harry Dale's luggage and personal efiects at 

 that time consisted of a truly limited assortment — met with its 

 proprietor's intentions in being conveniently slung upon a disen- 

 gaged elbow ; a cap, without the originality of Mr. Top's, but 



