A Good Bay 47 



the post, my neighbour, a cheery-looking old gentleman, 

 turned to me and said, " That was good, sir ! I hope 

 you were on it. I thought Mr. Yyner would not have 

 sent it here for nothing, for it's in a race up North 

 to-day that it couldn't have lost ; so I took the tip. 

 Nice price, too, 5 to 1 ! " and he went off wagging his 

 head. 



' This was very good fun for the people who understood 

 the game, but it had rather a tendency to irritate me, 

 for I seemed to be losing my chances. Wennington had 

 doubtless been quite right ; the winner was evidently *' the 

 thing" from the North, and my friend would of course be 

 under the impression that, owing to his excellent advice, 

 I had started on a good day. It wasn't his fault that 

 this was not the case ; only I must try, I determined, 

 to get some more definite description of the next horse 

 he fancied. As I was wandering about the paddock, I 

 came across him before the time for our meeting. 



' " Did you get fives ? '' he asked. '' Won in a walk, 

 didn't it ? We're doing well ! I had five ponies ; but I 

 had a pony on the second, too, so I only won a hundred. 

 Now, old boy, the next race is rather a puzzle ! I'm 

 inclined to think the Danebury horse ought to win, but 



I'm searching about for some one who can tell me 



Oh, there he is ! I was looking for you," he said to a 

 gentleman with short grey whiskers, so well preserved 

 that middle-aged rather than elderly might best describe 

 him. *'Does Tom fancy his much?" Of course I 

 wondered who " Tom '' might chance to be, though any- 

 one only just a thought less ignorant than I would 

 have known that the Danebury horse was one of Tom 

 Cannon's. 



* '' Yes, he does a bit," was the reply. " He's having 



