Too Clever 185 



Stakes, and mainly because Moss, a good judge, had so 

 confidently assured him that the favourite could not 

 possibly be beaten. That he had been ' put in the cart ' 

 he had no sort of idea. 



* I asked because I wondered whether he would let 

 us have a gallop with his mare,' Weekes continued. * I 

 like trying with horses that we know^ are in form ; we 

 have nothing to gallop ours wdth, and if Mr. Moss w^ould 

 lend us his mare to tell us something about our Cesare- 

 witch horses, we should know where we were.' 



' I've no doubt he'd be very glad ; he's a very good 

 fellow and always ready to do one a turn,' Dane 

 answered ; ' there he is ! I'll ask him at once,' he con- 

 tinued, as, looking around, he caught sight of Moss making 

 his way through the crowd. Moss answered the beckon- 

 ing finger by stopping, and was joined by Dane and 

 Weekes. 



' I w^anted you to do something for me, old fellow, if 

 it isn't asking too much,' Dane began. ' The fact is, 

 Weekes wants to know something more about our 

 Cesarewitch horses than he can find out, and we thought 

 that perhaps you wouldn't mind lending us your mare 

 to gallop them with. I'm afraid it's asking you a great 

 favour, but ' Dane was not used to making such re- 

 quests, and ended rather vaguely with an observation 

 about ' knowing wiiat a good chap you are.' 



Moss regarded ah requests from one point of view. 

 Would the thing desired do him any good ? Eapidly 

 revolving the query in his mind, he came to the conclu- 

 sion that all his interests were in a cordial affirmative. 

 He would ascertain w4iat Weekes, a very shrewd hand, 

 thought about the great 'back-end' handiciips, and 

 would, at any rate, know what chance his lot possessed, 



