55 THE LIFE OP A KACEIIORSE. 



cles, what a lucky bag is with lots o' blanks and prizes like 

 pearls in 'ailstorms." 



My attendant appeared, for some seconds, to have come to 

 the termination of the mood for communicating his inward 

 thoughts to Toby and me ; but after a lapse he hit the vein off 

 again, and resumed. 



" It came off right once — ^it may again ; but / don't try it 

 a third time. No ; the pull's against the player, and I must be 

 with the ^;z6Z?. Now, although there's neither a trainer — not 

 even John Sellusall himself — nor a jockey in the world, that 

 can score winnin' a certainty, a stable-boy like mc may nail 

 losin' as true as a die. Half a pail of water on the mornin 

 of runnin's done the trick many a time, and then" — Harry 

 smiled — "the public talked of how he lathered like soft 

 soap and 'ot water, and how he ran staggerin' behind from 

 the start to the finish. Well ! speakin' o' things in the general 

 line, there can be no better stroke o' business than layin* 

 against a dead 'oss, or what may be accounted as good as dead. 

 That's a certainty and no mistake ; and as sure as eggs is eggs 

 there's never a large field brought to the post but what many a 

 one's just as safe as if boiled down for catsmeat. The jolly 

 secret is how to get at the dead 'uns ; but if the public's 

 on before the stable, it doesn't require the cunningest witch 

 living to find out their pedigrees. With you, my bo-o-oy," said 

 he, damping the end of a finger and thumb, and snapping them 

 together in the direction of where I stood, "the ])ublic's all 

 right for the Derby. Our tm was on afore theirs, my bo-o-oy, 

 and between fifteen to one and nine to four's good edgin'. Yes, 

 you'll run on the square this time, whatever they may do with 

 ye the next, and hangin' on to Eobert Top's o-pinion, I'll stand 

 as I am, neck or nothin', although" — and Harry's determina- 

 tion seemed to receive a sudden and severe check — " I ought to 

 recollect that a bet's but half made until well *edged. No 

 matter. I'll try it once more, and then" — he brought his 

 hands together with a crack, which made me spring from the 

 groimd as if I'd been shot at — " Softly, lad, softly," added he, 

 as he rose from the pail, and soothed my easily excited fears by 



