68 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING FIELD. 



Kenihvorth, and you fellows can put your shirts on 

 without being a bit afraid." 



" I'm glad of that, because I do it so often," Wagstaff 

 interposed, sniggering at his little joke. 



Of course we took the tip, and a little commission 

 went up from the Drake. We had made a good many 

 mistakes that year — which, as a matter of fact, we do 

 most years, many ol us — and, congratulating ourselves 

 that this time it was all right, at any rate, went down 

 to see our money pulled off. 



But, alas ! that little commission went after the 

 majority of its predecessors. 



Something was wrong somewhere. 

 Bullfinch looked very like winning as they came in 

 sight, but failed to preserve that agreeable aspect by 

 the time they reached the post, and was cleverly beaten 

 by a weedy mare called Virginia Creeper, to whom, 

 according to general computation, Argus could have 

 given about two stone with perfect safety. Poor little 

 Flutterton's airy castle toppled over — and it had been 

 such a beautiful castle, too, with a stable attached to it 

 containing the two-year-old which was certain to win 

 next year's Derby. Crossley vowed he was dead broke 

 with such lamentable emphasis that Flutterton, hard hit 

 as he was, offered to lend him a couple of hundred to 

 go on with ; but Crossley still further won his innocent 

 young friend's heart by declining the proffered aid, with 

 imprecations on his bad luck or want of judgment which 

 had let poor Flutterton in so deeply. 



