2 14 SKETCHES EY THE II EN TING FIELD. 



stables had beaten the mare, and not knowing that I 

 had bought Achates and taken him away, naturally 

 thought that it was Fidus. That's the only way I can 

 see out of it, at least," Dick answered. 



By this time Fidus had reached the neighbourhood of 

 the paddock, w^here the two friends stood, and they 

 looked at him with varying emotions. Wyatt dis- 

 mounted, and, not at all abashed at that little matter of 

 the borrowed jacket, gave a grin expressive of comic 

 disgust as he slid from the saddle and acknowledged 

 Dick's presence. 



" And so that is Fidus, is it r " Beauclerc asked. 



"That is the noble animal, though he doesn't appear 

 to advantage with a saddle and bridle on, especially 

 with a jockey on his back and a plaited mane," Dick 

 replied. 



Beauclerc looked at the unconscious cause of his late 

 perplexity, and then at the card. 



** What are you studying ? " Dick asked. 



" There's no Fidus down here r " Beauclerc said, 

 reading the list of horses. 



"I dare say not, but there's a 'Juno' though. In 

 some strange way Manners found out that Fidus wasn't 

 a name, and he discovered that Juno was ; so with a 

 trifling disregard for gender the animal was rechris- 

 tcned. He told me he knew Juno was a 'proper name.' 

 I was going to say, under the circumstances, it was a 

 very improper name, only I did not see the good of 

 explaining." 



