98 THE LIFE OF A RACEHORSE. 



Monday about "the pot boiling over," the only -unclesirable 

 leaven mingling with them being the general fear that Slippery 

 Mo would fail to enter an appearance. As the head notes in 

 the journals, giving an epitome of the sayings and doings at the 

 Corner, subsequently stated, "towards the close of the after- 

 noon inquii'ies became more anxious concerning a well-kno"svn 

 bookmaker, whose absence, it was intimated at the opening of 

 business, might be reckoned upon with some degree of certainty, a 

 letter having been received from Boulogne bearing his signature. 

 We are sorry to say that the rumour proved too well founded 

 on the ]3roduction of the document, which was handed round for 

 general perusal, and the contents, if we may judge from the 

 mortified expression of many countenances, a23j)eared to be any- 

 tliing but satisfactory." 



I cannot say — neither is it of the slightest importance to 

 the development of the sequel of my history — whether the 

 seizure made by the Sheriff of Surrey, some ten days afterwards, 

 of me and my stable companions came under the definition of a 

 friendly one or otherwise; but large handbills informed the 

 public that a peremptory sale would take place, by virtue of a 

 power vested in that functionary, of my owner's personal estate 

 and effects, among which were described " his horses in training." 



Another downward step on the ladder of life : lower and 

 lower stillc 



CHAPTEH XIX. 



MY PROVINCIAL TOUR. 



Once more the monosyllable " sold," accompanied by the 

 sharp click of the auctioneer's hammer, announced a change of 

 ownership. To a kind of joint-stock company, being divided 

 into six shares of a hundred pounds each, I now belonged, the 

 general management of turning my engagements to the most 

 profitable account resting upon the diplomacy of the " proprietor 

 of a third." A plethoric, low-bred, unpleasant-looking indivi- 

 dual was this " proprietor of a tliird." I cannot imagine for a 

 moment that he was addicted to the human weakness of mourn- 



