RACING ADVENTURERS. 235 



having experienced a run of luck at one or 

 two meetings, found himself in possession of as 

 much money as enabled him to begin business 

 as landlord of a West End public-house. It 

 was situated near Mount Street, Grosvenor 

 Square, and was a favourite resort of the gentle- 

 men's servants of that aristocratic district of 

 London. The business Nourished exceedingly. 

 Many of those who frequented the house were 

 men endowed with sporting tastes, and most of 

 them keen bettors. Swindell laid liberal odds 

 to his customers, and as a few of them were in 

 the service of gentlemen who owned a horse 

 or two, the landlord not infrequently, by carefully 

 noting the investments of these men, was able 

 to do a remunerative stroke of business on his 

 own account. On the occasion of the visit of 

 a celebrated owner of blood stock to Newmarket 

 to witness a trial for an important event, Swindell 

 came to know the result from that gentleman's 

 butler, who obtained particulars of the trial from 

 the lady's-maid, who had read the letter sent 

 to the gentleman's wife, giving full details of 

 what the horse had accomplished. 



Many similar circumstances occurred from 

 time to time. The information just referred to 

 was the means of Swindell adding nearly a 

 thousand pounds to his bank account ; the butler 

 also made a satisfactory amount, while the lady's- 

 maid was rewarded by having presented to her 

 a valuable diamond and emerald ring. The 

 reputation acquired by Swindell as a prompt 

 payer speedily gained him the patronage of some 

 of the West End betting tradesmen, and in time 

 of the gentlemen whose servants he had hitherto 



