4.6 A Good Day 



went up — I had just found out that these proceedmgs 

 were simultaneous — and he duly appeared. 



' " A bad price ! I had to lay a shade of odds ; but it 

 was never in doubt, was it ? " he began, and then he con- 

 tinued with emphasis, '' Now, look here, Cora will be a 

 red-hot favourite. They are going to back her, and of 

 course she's dangerous on form ; but from what I hear 

 this thing from the North is sure to beat her. They 

 wouldn't have sent it all this way for nothing, you know " 

 — and I felt this little explanation was a concession to 

 my ignorance. " I think Cora looks light and tucked up, 

 too. You do as you like about saving on her, only I 

 should certainly back the other to win the money." 



* •' Thank you very much," I replied, " but " I was 



just going to formulate a request for more detail about 

 the " thing from the North," when, catching sight of some 

 one to whom he evidently desired to speak, he exclaimed, 

 *' Ah ! there's a man I've been looking for all day. 

 Excuse me, old chap. Here again before the next race," 

 and off he bolted. 



' " The thing from the North ! " I studied my card, 

 but could find no sort of indication as to where the 

 horses came from. I had a copy of a sporting paper 

 in my pocket, and sought enhghtenment from that, but 

 without effect. ^Yhat could I do ? Should I go to my 

 bookmaker and tell him in an offhand manner that I 

 wanted to back the thing from the North ? What if he 

 said " Which thing ? " or put some other confusing 

 question ? I did not like to a.sk strangers in the 

 enclosure, nor, indeed, did I know how to formulate my 

 question ; so I gave up the idea of betting, sat down to 

 watch the race, and saw it won easily by a jockey, in a 

 violet and white belted jacket. As the winner passed 



