CAPTAIN MACHELL 61 



indeed, great men ; Mr Rodrigo, for instance, is on the 

 School Board at Newmarket and the Local Board also, 

 besides being a great Radical politician. 



CAPTAIN MACHELL 



No man, in the opinion of the touts, is more dark, 

 deep and mysterious in his designs than Captain 

 Machell. The idea that he ever contemplates the 

 winning of a race except by divers tortuous devices 

 never occurs to them. Even in the days of Hermit 

 they would tell you that horse's broken blood-vessel 

 and week's absence from the training ground was only 

 part of the Captain's scheme for getting the money 

 on ; and as for his trials of his horses, they are 

 invariably arranged with a view to deceive the public. 

 Thus, although the Captain says frankly that The 

 Deemster has never been beaten in a trial, and, but for 

 a certain obvious cause, would never have been beaten 

 in a race, the touts will have none of him. Nay, when 

 the Captain goes on to allege that, in his opinion, The 

 Deemster will win the Derby, it is regarded as certain 

 that the horse can have no possible chance. The ab- 

 surdity of all this is shown by the fact which all who 

 really know Captain Machell are well aware of that 

 whatever information he gives you or anyone else is 

 always, and has always been, correct so far as human 

 foresight can go. Like Bismarck in diplomacy, he has 

 found that to tell the truth is the wisest policy ; you can 

 thus benefit your friends, while, as your enemies will not 

 believe you, they obtain no advantage. We who have 

 seen The Deemster finish his preparation, and have 

 also long since found out the wisdom of believing in 

 Captain Machell, are strongly inclined to the view that 



