A Lucky Mistake 215 



1,200L I told Smith I wanted him to do something 

 for me, and that I'd send him a wire in the morning. I 

 was afraid to ask the price to-day — it doesn't do to get 

 things talked about ; but Hay garth was chatting about 

 the betting on the handicap at lunch, and I heard him 

 say they were offering 100 to 8. If I could get on at 

 about tens or a bit less it would be all right ! ' 



The Towers, it should be explained, was about twenty 

 miles from the scene of the Meadshire meeting, then in 

 progress. Cranleigh was the owner of Eoquelaure, a 

 useful bay four-year-old that had been let into the 

 Meadshire Handicap with a good 7 lb. less than his owner 

 expected ; nor was this all. * I don't complain of the 

 weight they give me. It's the w^ay they let the other 

 beggars off that spoils my chance,' an historical ow^ner 

 once remarked when looking through a handicap ; but 

 here Eoquelaure had been let off' light, and Cranleigh 

 found nothing to complain of — rare position for an 

 owner — in the burdens allotted to the rest. Cranleigh 

 and his special friend made out that the colt's chance- 

 was not only second to none, but far better than that of 

 anything engaged, and Ashdown had accorrlingly made up 

 his mind to have the dash, the success of which would 

 save him from the troubles by which he was surrounded. 



The estate, when he had come into possession, was 

 somewhat severely dipped, and agricultural depression 

 had made things worse. Though not given to betting high, 

 he w^as fond of the sport, and had a few horses, which turn- 

 ing out badly, had helped to embarrass him. He had been 

 rather pressed for money, when the glowing stories told 

 him of a marvellously productive gold mine had induced 

 him to put into it the greater part of the capital he could 

 scrape together ; nearly all the rest was in a Colonial 



