148 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



book, then, was produced, and a few speculations entered 

 in it, though altogether to a trifling amount. This act of 

 our hero, however, gave birth to a ludicrous incident or 

 two, which, as a caution to youngsters who venture on 

 the same slippery ground, it may not be amiss to make 

 mention of. 



"Pray, Francis," said Lady Charlotte to her son, on 

 observing him, from the window of her coach, familiarly 

 addressed, on the second day of the meeting, by a person 

 of doubtful appearance that is to say, a very ordinary- 

 looking man, in tolerably good clothes "who is the 

 friend who came up to you just now, and seemed so glad 

 to see you ? " 



" Oh," replied our hero, who did not intend to let his 

 mother into the secret, " he only wanted to speak to me 

 about one of the horses." 



" And that strange-looking old man, on a white horse, 

 in a harness bridle, who followed you a long way down 

 the course, apparently in earnest conversation with you, 

 and carrying a book in his hand ? " continued Lady 

 Charlotte. 



Here was a poser for the young sportsman. He was 

 above telling an untruth, but was somewhat puzzled for 

 an off-hand answer to rather a close question. 



" A bothering old Irishman, by the name of O'Hara," 

 replied Frank, " who has been trying to persuade me, that 

 he could pick out the winner of the next race, and wanted 

 to know whether I thought / could do so, also 1 " 



" But, Francis," exclaimed his sister, " I saw you all but 

 quarrelling with some ill-looking man on the other side 

 of the course ; what could that have been about 1" 



" Why, I had better tell you the real state of the case 

 at once," replied Francis. " The persons you allude to 

 are all of them members of the most rascally community 

 upon earth known by the appellation of black-legs. 

 They attend all country races ; and, having heard me 

 offer a few bets yesterday, have been following me about 

 the course to-day, with the hope of winning my money. 

 But I shall be very cautious in having anything to say to 

 them, for two reasons. In the first place, my knowledge 

 of the horses must be very inferior to that of themselves, 

 who are intimate with all the trainers and jockeys in the 

 county ; and in the next, many of them dispute a bet 

 if they lose it. For example, the man Emma saw me 



