144 EACECOUESE AND COVEET SIDE. 



"Who is the local prophet who's generally 

 right ? " Swaynton asked. 



" It's Capper, sir ; has the Quarry Farm ; 

 you'll know, sir. It's one of Lord Stanmore's, 

 away by the Three Oaks, on the London Eoad," 

 Eutters said. 



"And where does he get his wonderful 

 information from ? " Swaynton inquired. 



" That's what we don't know, sir ; but right 

 he is in general, sure enough. Sometimes he 

 makes a mistake, like the rest of us. He didn't 

 hit off the Derby this year, and we got some- 

 thing back over the Chester Cup ; but in general, 

 specially in races down South, he's wonderful 

 right ! " the little barber chimed in. 



" And he don't know no more about 'osses 



than Pooh! " Stubson added, with a look 



across at Eutters, giving up the search for a 

 simile in a good round grunt of contempt. 



"That's the facts, though," Eutters ex- 

 claimed, taking up his friend's challenge. " How 

 does it fall out ? Scarce a day of a big race 

 passes but in comes Capper. ' Well,' he says, 

 ' what about the Cup, or the Stakes ? ' ' So- 

 and-so,' we say. ' W^hy shouldn't Bombshell (or 

 what it might be) win? That's the one I shall 

 back, and I'll hold him against any other, or I'll 

 take three to one (or whatever it is) against him.' 



