174: TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



wliile even the very fact of liis coming- of tlie ^ Cat-gut ' 

 stock slioulcl liave Avarned tlie world of the fate that 

 awaited him. Was there ever one of them that could 

 have obtained a warrant for tolerable soundness? In 

 short, the favourite of this year affords us in all respects 

 one of the finest specimens of humbug' ever attempted." 

 So said the prophets in their after- conclusions on *^ Sun- 

 day next," with a highness of tone and straightforward- 

 ness of condemnation that must have gone oiF uncom- 

 monly well, if they had not picked him out to a man, 

 on the Sunday previous^ as the only horse that could 



" And so really, Mr. Holdfast, you don't think this 

 death to the corn laws has done you much damage after 

 all ? You employ as many men, keep as much stock, use 

 as many horses — ^by the way, what is this one coming 

 towards us ? — a bit of blood certainly." 



" Aye ! that it is, sir, and good blood they tell 

 me. 



*' Why, however came you to take a fancy to one of 

 that sort?" 



*' Eather he took a fancy to me — a gentleman sent him 

 bere for quiet, just before he was going to win the great 

 race j and here he's been ever since. Cracked his leg, you 

 see, alirost, one might say, as he'd won more money than 

 I likes to think of." 



Wh}^, it is ' the favourite ' — eh ? Prior Conqueror's 

 nag?" 



** That's him, sir, ruined outright by it, and left his 

 lamed racer here till his head got too big to get him 

 out of the stable, and so in the end 1 took him for ' costs,' 

 as the lawyers say. Stop a bit. Jack, and let the gen- 



