192 HINTS TO horsemen; or, 



cause or other that sends him back, and brings another 

 into his place ; and this, probably, arises from some 

 influential man having had some information that 

 causes the alteration in the betting. 



It may be asked, how do illiterate men manage 

 this betting-book — we will say such men as Davis 

 or the late Crockford ? The answer to this is, they 

 had been betting long before any one noticed their 

 proceedings ; they had been dabbling in betting for 

 years, with varied success ; they had devoted all 

 their time and attention to it, had passed through an 

 ordeal that few men but themselves would have en- 

 countered; had got down somehow to all the best 

 races ; thus they became known ; then, when they 

 had made a lucky hit, their career began ; they made 

 it a point to pay honourably every losing bet ; this 

 established their character ; and it was thus their inte- 

 rest not to deviate from a line of conduct they found 

 to their advantage to adhere to. Stories are told 

 that Crockford did not know how, in writing, to set 

 down two and two make four ; this may have been 

 the case at his commencement in betting, but, depend 



