A.y ECCENTRIC CHASE. 235 



"Got ^500, eh?" says my particular friend Leonard, 

 as the general conversation which was in progress 

 when I entered the club continues. " Lucky beggar ! 

 I wish I had. It's always you fellows who don't care 

 about such things that get them. Why do the richest 

 men in the club invariably win all the sweeps V 



" I can't answer conundrums," I reply, " and I don't 

 see where my luck comes in. What would you do with 



i:500r" 



"I should make it ^10,000," Leonard answers de- 

 cidedly. 



" A most excellent suggestion, which only one trifling 

 circumstance prevents me from putting into immediate 

 effect — I haven't the slightest notion how to set about 

 it," I tell him. 



" Back jMuffin Boy for the Gloucester Cujd," he 

 solemnly rejoins. 



" Good thing, you believe r " 



" Coining money, my dear fellow, simply. Look 

 here ! " he continued, taking up the evening paper. 

 "He's now at 25 to i — '^^ to i at Manchester, but you very 

 likely wouldn't get such good odds. You might depend 

 on 20 to I, however, certainly, and — there you are ! " 



" If Muffin Boy is where he ought to be, that is to 

 say \ " I inquire. 



" Just look here ! " Leonard begins again ; and after 

 an elaborate disquisition, showing what this excellent 

 creature had done at diiferent places under different 

 weights, he proves to demonstration that the Glou- 



