148 EACECOUESE AND COVEET SIDE. 



A boy jumped off, and brought into the room a 

 scrap of folded paper, which he gave to Eutters. 

 " Now we shall see who's right ! " he said, 

 as he opened it. His countenance fell as he 

 read the words. " He's done it again ! There 

 it is, sure enough. ' Eoyal Southern Steeple- 

 chase. — Bombshell, 1 ; Ladybird, 2 ; The 

 Pilot, 3.' " 



CHAPTEE n. 



Cheistmas came and went. Spring and summer 

 followed its example without making very much 

 change in the position of affairs in Chipbury. 

 The farmers grumbled as much at that time as 

 they do now ; it is the prerogative of the farmer 

 to grumble ; but there was less cause for com- 

 plaint then than there is at the present day. 

 Little Garrett had discovered an infallible system 

 for winning on the turf, and had very nearly 

 succeeded in breaking himself by following it, 

 owing, of course, to some most unhappy mischance 

 that never could occur again. Capper had 

 prospered so much that men grew shy of betting 

 with him, and though sometimes he made a bad 

 shot on one horse in a race, it was usually found 



