Hurdle Racing 237 



good hurdle racer," pointing at the time to 

 Charon, a son of Hermit and Barchettina. 



In the unsuspicious blush of innocence I 

 asked him why. 



"Well," he said, "if Charon can't go across 

 the Styx (sticks), it's a pity ! " and this puts 

 me in mind of a smart iinot in connection with 

 Orme's Derby. Sir John Blundell Maple's 

 Saraband had been freely backed, and report 

 said that he was 10 lbs. better than The 

 Bard. A sporting paper had described him 

 as " a well-furnished colt," and amongst his 

 many backers was a Mr. Shoolbred, who was 

 greatly mortified to find him scratched just a 

 day or two before the race. 



" Well furnished, eh ? " said a man who had 

 just been talking to the latter; "if ever a 

 colt ought to be well furnished, I should think 

 it's this one, for he's owned by Maple, and 

 d d by Shoolbred ! " 



