WITH THE PROPHETS. 185 



in question crowed over this feat of tipping, just 

 as a bantam cock does when he is surveying the 

 half-dozen inmates of his harem. 



These details will not probably be pleasant 

 to the gentlemen of the sporting press ; but there 

 are among them several who have no occasion to 

 assume that my remarks are personal, because 

 they are persons possessed of knowledge, who 

 announce their selections in a modest manner, 

 and give good reasons for their faith ; but for 

 the kind of tipster who told his readers not only 

 that Pioneer would win the race for the City and 

 Suburban Handicap, but would do easily, I 

 have but scanty respect. That tipster must surely 

 be a green hand at the business ! Why did he not 

 add that if the horse did not win easily he would 

 eat him .^ "Will win," instead of "may win," is 

 a mistake in tipping often committed by some 

 even of the veteran press tipsters. 



Pressmen who review past races and prophesy 

 on future events are compelled, like jockeys, " to 

 ride to order " ; in plain language, they must 

 found their tips on the public form of the horses 

 commented upon. It is not any part of their work 

 to " guess " that any particular horse will win a 

 race; hence it is that the professional prophets are 

 now and again completely " floored " by the 

 victory of an animal they dared not even assume 

 to have been possessed of a chance. It is always 

 on the cards that an outsider may win. 



There are every day busily at work at the 

 present time an army of over two hundred and 

 fifty advertising tipsters — pure adventurers, re- 

 cruited from all sorts and conditions of men. 

 The writer took pains, three or four years ago, to 



