FORESTALLED BY OUR PARTNER. 161 



In the spring I wrote to Mr. Parker and asked 

 him to come and see the mare tried, which he did. 

 On his arrival he said, in his good-natured way : 



' I hope you have got the money on well.' 



' Me !' I answered, more earnestly than, perhaps, 

 correctly, in my surprise. ' What do you mean ?' 



' Why,' he rejoined, ' the mare is the first favourite 

 in both races ' (the City and Suburban and the 

 Metropolitan), ' and I thought you might have backed 

 her for us and yourself too.' 



' No,' I said in reply ; ' I have never seen or heard 

 her name mentioned till now.' 



Nor had I, as I only took in the weekly papers. 



'It's Teddy' (referring to Mr. Farrance), he said; 

 ' he has been in communication with the boy I told 

 you of, and now I hope you will be satisfied, and 

 believe what is so clear to everyone but yourself.' 



Thus it appeared our chance, at the time, had been 

 wrecked by the action of our own partner. The mare 

 was, however, beat in her trial, and, without any 

 assistance of ours, was driven out of the betting. But 

 Ave thought the trial was wrong, and tried her again 

 in a few days, and found that it was so; for on a second 

 attempt she beat Tame Deer, giving him 18 lb., the 

 other two being tailed off a long way. But before 

 Mr. Parker got my letter, and could act on it, he 

 found she was made favourite again, and would not 

 back her at the short price obtainable. In the end she 

 did not run, though we took her to the meeting in 



11 



