44 THE LIFE OF A RACEHORSE. 



were called upon to exhibit sucli a terrific essay of tlieir powers 

 of speed and stoutness. 



"You'll break tlie colt's heart, Sellusall," observed the 

 baronet, as my hood and clothes were stripped from me. 



" It must be something more than he'll get this morning to 

 breat his heart. Sir Digby," replied our trainer, adjusting a 

 small saddle upon my back ; but, as I subsequently learned, it 

 sunk the scale exactly level with the large, sjDreading one 

 girthed upon the back of York's Cardinal. 



" They've an even eight-stone-seven up, Sir Digby," whis- 

 pered John Sellusall, screening the movement of his lips with 

 a hand; "but, as the boys weighed without the saddles, we can 

 manage to keep the weights not only from them, but the 

 scouting touts here ; " and as he spoke he pointed to several 

 groups of men loitering about in the distance, evidently on the 

 watch for the issue of my trial. 



" These fellows are remarkably shrewd," replied the baronet, 

 smiling, as he lifted a race-glass to his eyes, and swept the 

 horizon. 



" Yes," rejoined our trainer, "and are up to every move we 

 can make ; but I'll set a puzzle for their brains to-day ; " and 

 the parenthesis became strongly lined as he added, in the same 

 suppressed tone, "they'll gallop some way beyond where the 

 trial ends, and the winner be pulled for the loser to go in front." 



" A wise precaution," remarked Sir Digby, still interested 

 in the view he was taking through his glass ; " but the boys 

 must be cognisant of this piece of justifiable deception." 



" There are secrets of the stable, Sir Digby," returned our 

 trainer, " which must be intrusted to those belonging to it ; but 

 I never permit more to be known than is absolutely impossible 

 to keep to myself. " 



Spanky was now lifted with a light, graceful movement 

 upon my back, and Harry Dale, with my hood and clothes 

 over his arms, and bottle in hand, stood at my head, with a pink 

 flush mantling in his cheeks, and his hard, bright eyes glistening 

 with excitement. 



Although both Sir Digby and John Sellusall had spoken of 



