8o MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



word. " I tell you what it is : if anything like this ever 

 occurs again supposing it was poison I'll never train 

 another horse. I'd sooner break stones on the road 

 than feel that there's somebody somewhere about me 

 whom I can't trust. I cannot but hope, though, and 

 half believe, that the trouble was due to some natural 

 cause of which we know nothing. 



"Oh no, it is not at all a similar case to that of 

 Friar's Balsam. We know that was an accident pure 

 and simple, while this well, we don't know what it is, 

 and there is the long and short of it. 



" We removed him from the Derby winner's box, 

 where Common, Sainfoin, etc., stood before him, because 

 at first we thought it might be something infectious ; 

 and Mr Williams has been with him almost ever since. 

 I shan't let anyone, except those who are absolutely 

 necessary, even see him in his box from now up to 

 Derby time." 



" And you think you'll have him right by then ? " 



" I hope so." 



A few more remarks of a similar character followed, 

 and a brief intimation was given that Goldfinch runs for 

 the Two Thousand and La Fleche for the One Thousand 

 Guineas. The latter is very well indeed. 



"The Two Thousand Guineas," said John Porter, 

 " seems to be a very open race." 



" Not if Goldfinch is well, surely ? " 



" Ah, he's not quite so well as I should like to see him. 

 Polyglot does not run. He is not fit yet. I wish he was. 

 But we never thought of having to fall back on a third 

 string." 



At this moment the Vicar of Kingsclere called, ac- 

 companied by two fox-terriers, one of whom was speedily 



