THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 325 



him aware that he had taken upon himself a hazardous 

 task ; but feeling convinced in his own mind that he lost 

 the Welter by not making running, he was now resolved 

 to do so, it being his only chance to win. 



"Is your book full, sir?" said one of the betting; 

 fraternity to him, as he was about to mount his horse. 



" I have no book on the occasion," was the answer ; "I 

 have not a shilling on the event, except the 500 on the 

 match/' 



" I'll bet you 6 to 4 against your horse, sir 120 to 80- 

 if you please, sir," resumed the leg. 



" No" answered Raby, in somewhat of a surly tone, and 

 he was immediately lifted into his saddle. As he rode 

 quietly out of the crowd, towards an open part of the 

 course, on which he could give his horse a gallop, he was 

 thus addressed by his trainer : 



"Now, sir, it will be a great event in your life if you 

 can beat this crack horse with so good a jockey as Mr. 

 Burrell on his back. All I can say of your horse is, he- 

 is well better, I think, than he was on Tuesday ; and I 

 question whether Antonio has quite forgotten Tuesday's 

 race. Then you will have an advantage to-day, if you 

 mean to make running, which you had not on Tuesday- 

 You will be able to make your turns and there are 

 plenty of them on this course without losing ground,, 

 which you did on Tuesday among the crowd. But pray,, 

 sir, don't forget the pull a short distance from home. I 

 have backed you for a hundred." 



" No fear of that," replied our hero ; " but if it conies 

 to a very near thing at the last, should I use my whip, or 

 only spur my horse ? " 



" Why, sir," said Lilly, " all good jockeys avoid the use 

 of the whip as much as possible. When a race-horse is in 

 the fullest exercise of his powers, and doing his best, it 

 is unnecessary, for it cannot make him do more ; but a 

 severe blow from a whip often does harm, particularly if 

 it falls under the flank, which is a very tender place, on 

 account of the thinness of the skin. Instead of its having 

 the effect of making a horse extend himself over a large 

 surface of ground, it may have quite a contrary effect, 

 from his ' shutting himself up,' as we call it, or shrinking 

 to avoid the blows. The spur, properly used, is a much 

 better instrument for increasing the speed of a horse, 

 although there are times when the application of the whip.. 



