240 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



fortune oftener than once to see a good thing 

 that would have been worth thousands to him 

 vanish just as he was about to reaHse it. He 

 took such reverses with his wonted equanimity, 

 having the comfort of knowing that his bank 

 account was still in a good condition, and no one 

 could determine from his manner how he was 

 affected ; Swindell was not in the habit of wearing 

 his heart on his sleeve. 



One of the many stories that went the round 

 was the following: "Mr. J. M, Stanley had 

 arranged with Swindell to back Porto Rica for 

 the Two Thousand Guineas, supposing that 

 horse's trial proved satisfactory. Wright, at that 

 time a well-known betting agent, used to publish 

 a little book of forthcoming events. Swindell 

 was on a racecourse when he received a telegram 

 instructing him to back a certain number in 

 Wright's guide for the Guineas. He looked 

 at the little book, but mistook his instructions, 

 thinking they were intended for Lord Stanley's 

 colt by Orlando-Canezou. The two colts, one 

 belonging to Lord Stanley, and the other to 

 Mr. J. M. Stanley, were entered one after the 

 other in Wright's book, and Swindell mis- 

 taking one for the other, sent his commissioner 

 to back Lord Stanley's horse. Now this colt was 

 a dark one, had not been mentioned in the 

 betting quotations, and had never yet run in 

 public. With a puzzled expression on his face, 

 the commissioner came back to Swindell, and 

 inquired if any mistake had been made, as the 

 bookmakers seemed over-anxious to lay against 

 the Canezou colt. Master Frederick, on again 

 consulting Wright's book, at once saw he had 



