194 ^<^<^ Clever 



taking the serenity of the pleased expression on his 

 face. 



' Ah, I forgot,' he suddenly exclaimed, adding to the 

 bottom of the list '1,000 to 40 with Dane.' 'I don't 

 expect he's got much on at 1,000 to 40 either. I'm 

 afraid he was a bit too late ! ' Moss observed, with a 

 chuckle. 



CHAPTEE III 



The Cesare witch day had at length arrived. Moss had 

 eagerly anticipated the occasion, for he wanted money 

 badly, and, so far as he could see, the result of the race 

 could scarcely fail to enrich him by not far short of 

 30,000Z. Cartwright got him a good price to his 200L, 

 and other agents had also been quietly set to work with 

 satisfactory results. Brown Shoes was now quoted at 

 100 to 1*2, there being a couple of better favourite^ ; 

 indeed, about Anvil, a three-year-old son of Vulcan, who 

 had shown good form, and who had been very highly 

 tried, 7 to 2 was the best offer ; though Moss had no fears 

 of this animal, as he was very far indeed from being 

 a boy's horse, and the shrewdest judges were convinced 

 that he would never stay the distance. Prairie Belle, the 

 second favourite, the same good judges declared, had 

 not done anything like a real Cesarewitch preparation, 

 and the more Moss heard of these two the better pleased he 

 felt about his prospects. He had not seen Dane since 

 they parted at the station after the trial ; but Brown 

 Shoes had arrived, and pleased even the Newmarket 

 critics by her style of going, though these critics are 

 little given to approving of ' provincial ' horses. The 

 Caliph had also been sent, to make running for his stable 



