1 68 A Good Thing 



a bit, Southey thinks as he pauses, and, glancing round, 

 sees Upton in conference with Boyle, a bookmaker close at 

 hand, who bets to big figures. Upton has — laid the 

 odds. He is pencilling down 50 to 25 about Fisherman, 

 and Boyle immediately opens wdth ' I'll take 5 to 2 ; 2 

 to 1 bar one ! ' Up comes little Leigh, looking very 

 innocent, and takes 1,000 to 500 Dewdrop, passing on 

 to another layer, and entering another bet. Frey and 

 Darsham are also busy, and now only 6 to 4 can be got 

 about the mare. Backers can lay 7 to 4 on the other. 



Suddenly a little red-whiskered man rushes from the 

 weighing-room to the ring, and whispers to the book- 

 maker who laid Leigh the big bet. He glances at the 

 telegraph board, but the men are busy at it, and nothing 

 is hoisted ; but he changes his cry to — 



' Here, 2 to 1 Fisherman ; I'll take 7 to 4 ! ' 

 This is a revolution indeed ! What is the meaning 

 of it ? The explanation is soon obvious. Up go the 

 numbers : 



Match. 



1 Ow^NER. 



2 Hawke. 



The shabby little red-whiskered man has found out 

 all about it, an incautious word dropped by the too 

 jubilant Leigh having roused his suspicions. He has 

 ascertained, not only that Hawke is to ride, but that the 

 mare is greatly fancied. Upton is known to be wdde awake. 

 The fact that he and a few others had laid the odds on 

 the horse had entirely deceived the ring, especially as 

 York is known as a good horseman, and Barnes as a very 

 bad one. Leigh's bet made Boyle pause for just a 

 moment, but he had seen young men do foolish things 



