"won hard held." 51 



Spindles, exercised his nicest skill in plaiting Sunshine's mane 

 and his shoes being removed by the smith in attendance for 

 this express purpose, the plates were adjusted, and the prepara- 

 tion for the post almost completed. A full feed of corn was 

 thrown into the crib, and as soon as finished the setting-muzzle 

 was buckled on, and then each and all left the colt by Glitter, 

 dam Comet, by Falling Star, to chew the cud, possibly, of 

 reflection. 



Little more than three hours previous to that fixed for the 

 race to be numbered with the past, Mr. James Sloper, George 

 Spindles, and Puffy Doddles again entered Sunshine's box. A 

 double handful of corn was presented during the process of 

 a final rubbing down, at the conclusion of which the best 

 two-year-old out stood fit, in his three-year-old form, to add 

 new honours to those already won, or to materially dim their 

 lustre. 



CHAPTER IX. 



The race was over. 



It might be described as briefly as most races, if the saving 

 of space were a matter of considerable importance. Sunshine 

 took the lead, kept it, and won haed held. 



Men stared at each other aghast. As a matter of course, 

 some said they had been " done," others thought so in moody 

 silence, and a great number felt so without making known 

 their sentiments either in looks or words. Mr. James Sloper 

 had very little to say upon the subject : " The horses were 

 started to run on their merits ; and if the public backed the 

 wrong one, that was no business of his." Nothing could be 

 more conclusive. For what possible business could it be to 

 Mr. James Sloper whether the public backed the right horse 

 or the wrong horse 1 



The commissioner to the Great Stable of the North Bill 



d 2 



