TALES OF PINK AND SILK 



CAPTAIN ELEATEE'S COUP. 



Captain Bleater was down on his luck. Everything seemed 

 to have gone wrong with him lately, and unless there was a 

 turn for the better he would have — to use his own expression 

 — " to put up the shutters," or, in other words, retire from the 

 business of making money by racing. Yes, the gee-gees must 

 go, unless he could bring off' some coup to set matters straight 

 again. But how Avas it to be done ? Many were the consul- 

 tations with Tuplin, the head lad, as to how they were to run 

 his extremely moderate animals to his own emolument and 

 the discomfiture of the British public. But these confabs 

 had been held before, and more than one scheme had been 

 planned that seemed certain of protit, only to be upset in the 

 most exasperating way by some entirely unlooked-for animal 

 or event. ^Vas there ever such luck ? The Town Plate at 

 Eoxton seemed a certainty for the Grand Dake, and all the 

 available cash was piled on at a nice price; but the Grand 

 Duke got beaten a head, and the British public gave Captain 

 Bleater credit for losing very cleverly, remarking that it was 

 the weight of money (on the winning horse) that stopped the 

 Grand Duke. It was too bad ; especially v/hen they were really 

 " on the job." But such is fame, and the result of a reputation 

 gained b}^ years of toil and trouble. Then Sylvia breaks down 

 three fences from home, with the Beckside Steeplechase 



