i8o Too Clever 



it was ; but it is thus that men sometimes like to 

 magnify the achievements of the horses that carry their 

 jackets. 



By this time the friends were at the weighing- room 

 door. Smeuse duly arrived, and the ' All right ! ' was 

 called, to the immense satisfaction of Moss, who had, in 

 fact, supported his mare with great confidence, and won 

 little short of 6,000/., irrespective of the stakes — money 

 which at the time he wanted badly. Not many con- 

 gratulations were bestowed upon him as he strolled 

 through the paddock ; for though many had suspected 

 that the mare was better than past running made her 

 out to be, few had known enough to venture on backing 

 her for more than a trifle to save. Among those who 

 had a pleasant word to say, however, was a young man, 

 not much more than half-way through the twenties, who 

 had been standing in a somewhat pensive attitude and 

 gnawing his lip — his fair moustache was scarcely long 

 enough to be gnawable — before he caught sight of the 

 owner of the winner. 



' Well, I congratulate you. Moss ! ' he said. ' I 

 thought the favourite was winning till they were close 

 on the post ; but I'm very glad you pulled it off.' 



* Thanks, very much, and it's very good of you, my 

 dear Dane, because I'm afraid you did not back it,' 

 Moss replied. 



Dane smiled, though the smile did not quite conceal 

 the trouble in his face. ' No, I couldn't very well, after 

 what you told me about her, could I ? I had a plunge 

 on the favourite. I thought it was good.' 



* Well, my dear fellow, you know there's nobody I 

 would have told so soon if I'd really fancied it ; but I 

 thought the favourite had a good 7 lb. in hand of me. 



