72 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



only dealt in hundreds. At last Mr Maple offered 

 5500 guineas, La Fleche's price ; but even this was 

 capped with another 100 guineas. 



" 'Six thousand,' said Mr Maple, without an instant's 

 hesitation, springing four hundred at a bid. It was 

 enough. ' Have another pull at your cigar,' pleaded 

 Mr Tattersall to Mr Weatherby, ' and give us another 

 bid. 1 But Mr Weatherby had shot his bolt, and so the 

 highest-priced yearling ever sold by auction in this 

 country was knocked down, and the ' three cheers for 

 Mr Maple ' which Mr Tattersall asked for were heartily 

 given. 'Confound it/ said Lord Marcus Beresford, 

 ' I wanted that colt and I never got a bid ! ' " 



Now I had never done " Pavo " an ill turn in my life, 

 but he was so mad about what was written in the above 

 extract that he induced The Morning Post to stop their 

 contract with The Sportsman, or Ashley's Service I 

 forget which but this lasted for only about a fortnight 

 before business relations were resumed. 



