THE farmer's story, 41 



at the grand way the little chap took it all. He let the 

 old horse — though he was pumped out as dead as a ham- 

 mer— g-o nearly half round ag*ain before he stopped him^ 

 and then came back at last, patting- his lanky ribs again, 

 as if it was the horse and not the man as had won the 

 race. He didn't say much either, only as he jumped 

 down to weigh, to the people about him — 



•^ ^ Come ! they managed to make a tolerably good 

 finish after all, didn't they V 



" Just as if he'd been cock-sure of winning all along — 

 when he knew, as well as I did, that my mare could have 

 run round him with ftiir play. 



" Somehow or other, I couldn't face the Ordinary, and 

 so, after bolting" something- by myself, I did what a g'ood 

 many men do when they don't know what to do with 

 themselves — went to the play. When it was nearly over 

 I walked back to the inn, and who should be standing at 

 the door but my little friend, smoking- a cigar — the fii-st 

 time I had seen him since the race. There he stood, 

 looking as cool and quiet as ever. He made way for me^ 

 too, as civil as possible, but just as if he had never seen 

 me before in his life. The end of it was, I was obliged 

 to beg-in, and so I says at last — 



'^ ' Well, how about the stake — have you g-ot it?" 



" ' Oh yes I ' says he, as if a little surprised at my 

 speaking- to him. ^ All right, thank'ee ! I must say they 

 pay much readier here than they do at many places 1 

 could name.' 



'' ^ I'm g-lad to hear that anyhow,' I went on, ^ and of 

 course our settling* will be as easy.' 



'^ ' I beg your pardon, but I don't think I quite com- 

 prehend you V 



Why, what you said before running the last heat 



i( i 



