THE SPOTTED HORSe' STORY. 183 



him now, at any rate, for we certainly can't get 

 any one else ? " 



''It is quite impossible that I can ride a race, 

 Captain Packenham," I replied. "I never did 

 such a thing in my life. There can sm-ely be no 

 difficulty in finding a rider amongst the party — 

 you, or Mr. Dacre ? " 



'' We both have mounts, and so has Forester, 

 and there's not another man at the Grange who 

 can ride the weight." 



" Hire a man — a jockey," I suggested. 



" Impossible ; professionals can't ride for the 

 Cup," he answered. 



" I don't see any difficulty about riding," 

 Dacre said. " What's to prevent you ? There's 

 your horse, and the weight's all right, and you've 

 been over the ground." 



" Miss Lucy will break her heart," Packenham 

 continued ; " she said she would if you didn't 

 win, and has been plunging on you to a ruinous 

 extent : bales of gloves she's got on, and if you 

 don't pull them off for her she'll never forgive 

 you. I think that you've got a glorious oppor- 

 tunity. The Professor's an awfully easy horse 

 to ride — you have nothing to do but sit still 

 and let him have his head, and there you 

 are!" 



It was all very well to say '' let him have his 



