EXAMPLES OF COOLNESS. 271 



disliked, being too small and far too light. Mr. 

 Swindell was on the platform waiting for the train ; 

 and the division came to him in a body, intending to 

 take ' a rise ' out of him. 



' Fred,' they said, ' we are in a raffle ; make one 

 of us ?' 



' What's up ?' he replied suspiciously. 



' Will you make one ?' was again asked. ' It's 

 only a pound a piece — ten of us.' 



' Oh yes,' he said. ' What's it for ?' 



' Dulcibella,' was the answer, with a roar of 

 laughter at Fred and the mare he had backed. But 

 it did not turn out either that the mare was to be 

 had in a raffle, or that the laughter was to be all on 

 their side. 



I have mentioned his coolness, or self-possession 

 under all circumstances. I was standing by his side 

 at Lewes one year in the betting-ring, when he kept 

 offering to back a horse that he knew could not win 

 unless all the rest tumbled down, with the intention 

 of bolstering him up in the market for an ulterior 

 purpose. Immediately they were off, he offered in a 

 loud tone to take £200 to =£100. 



' Done,' said a man in the stand above him. ' I will 

 lay you, Swindell.' 



Looking up at him coolly, he replied : 



' Ah ! you have seen something ;' and of course it 

 was no bet. 



A similar piece of nonchalance was shown on the 



