MR. ALLEN m'dONOGH. 353 



under the circumstances ; but he consented, and was 

 surprised to find that the visitorwas his friend, Mr. Dycer. 

 He said, " Is it true Brunette has gone wrong ? If so, 

 I'll be ruined. I have ^2,000 on her, and to-night I bet 

 another^2,ooo that she 'd start." Mr. Dycer's feel- 

 ings may be imagined when he heard the truth. 

 However, Mr. M'Donogh consoled him to a certain 

 extent, by assuring him that if he could not get off the 

 bet, the mare would go to the post, even if it were 

 necessary to carry her to it. Immediately after Mr. 

 Dycer had left the room, another gentleman was 

 announced ; and, strange to say, it was the person with 

 whom Mr. Dycer had the wager as to the mare run- 

 ning. He offered to give Mr. M'Donogh ^1,000 if 

 the mare did not start. I need scarcely say that the 

 tempting offer was refused. On " the morning of the 

 day," the mare blundered over a couple of small fences, 

 and appeared to be unable either to gallop or jump. 

 However, she started, and was a quarter of a mile 

 behind when jumping the brook opposite to the stand. 

 The spectators, who did not know or would not believe 

 that there was something wrong with- her, hissed and 

 hooted. Warming to her work, she made up lost 

 ground rapidly, actually jumped the last hurdle with 

 the leader, and finished a good fourth to Mathew. She 

 certainly would have won easily had she been fit. She 

 was engaged in the Warwick Steeplechase run a fort- 

 night afterwards. Mr. M'Donogh put ^100 on her at 

 20 to I. The ground was rather hard, one of the fences 

 was a very nasty drop, and knowing that the mare 

 was shaky on her "understandings," he was afraid of 

 her breaking down. Consequently he asked a noble 



