192 Too Clever 



' I shall not be afraid of that — you'll not find any- 

 thing to beat this one. I can tell through mine, you 

 see,' was the reply, and they trotted off home for 

 a look round the place before lunch and a return to 

 London. 



'It's good ! ' Moss exclaimed to himself, as, having 

 parted from Dane at the station, he got into a hansom 

 and drove to his rooms. ' My mare at 7 st. would 

 smother the lot, and this one gave her something like a 

 10-lb. beating, I should think. Smeuse at six stone two 

 or three ! By Jove, it's the best thing I've ever been in ! 

 I wonder whether old Weekes is mug enough to suppose 

 that I shall be content to win a thousand over it ? It'll 

 be odd if I don't touch up those brutes over the rails to a 

 pretty tune.' 



With these pleasing reflections he reached the door 

 of his rooms, where Cartwright was awaiting him. 



' Well ? Did you beat the lot, or did the lot beat 

 you ? ' Cartwright asked. 



' There was only Brown Shoes in the gallop. The 

 Caliph's going for the Cambridgeshire, and Jovial won't 

 stand a preparation. It was a real good gallop. Past 

 Master brought them along a regular hopper for nearly 

 a mile and a half. Old Smeuse, with 3 lb. the worst of 

 the weights, won pretty clever at the finish — pretty easy, 

 in fact — by about a couple of lengths. I knew she would,' 

 was Moss's description of the event — a description which, 

 it will be observed, had not the merit of anything ap- 

 proaching to accuracy. 



' Ah ! that doesn't make theirs out very gaudy, I'm 

 afraid ? You won't back it, I suppose ? ' Cartwright 

 asked. 



' Well, I don't know. It's putting Smeuse in at a 



