192 A Sportsman at Large 



expect me to run my dogs and to act as judge as well ? Good 

 Lord, what next ? " 



A chorus broke out. 



' That'll be all right, Captain we all know you and trust 

 you ! " 



" Carry on, sir. If you can't judge your own dogs, whose 

 can you judge ? " 



And so on and so forth. 



Well, I did actually judge, and not one of my decisions 

 was called into question ; but I did not feel at all happy. 



As it happened, in every case my own representatives either 

 won easily and obviously, or were easily and obviously beaten. 



Had it been otherwise, and had the issue in any particular 

 case been a near thing, I should have been tempted to give the 

 other fellow's dog the verdict, even if I had had it in the back 

 of my head that my own greyhound had a point or two to the 

 good. 



A sign and token of want of moral courage no doubt, and 

 one which might have inflicted a distinct injustice upon all and 

 sundry (if any) who had backed my representative ; but 

 such is my nature, which is essentially of the human 

 quality. 



Anyhow, everyone seemed quite pleased and content with 

 the show, so why trouble about " what might have been " ? 



At a small meeting where I donned the pink, two black 

 dogs went to the slips for the principal event. Of course, one 

 wore a white colour and the other a red. The latter led three 

 lengths and gave his opponent no quarter, winning with an 

 overwhelming balance in hand. 



I pulled the red handkerchief out of my pocket and signalled 

 to the flag steward, who immediately raised the corresponding 

 bunting. 



A hefty and explosive personality, who seemed on the verge 

 of apoplexy, induced by boiling and uncontrollable wrath, 

 rushed up and thus addressed me : 



" Look here, you blankety-blank crook, call yourself a 

 judge. You're either a dead wrong 'un, or a live fool ; perhaps 

 you are both, you ! " 



I was amazed ! 



