2i8 A Lucky Mistake 



friends based their calculations ^Yas one of those flukes 

 which do at times occur in racing. She had beaten two 

 good animals, but one of them, a mare, had not given 

 her running, and the only person who really knew why 

 the other had not won was the jockey, though the stable 

 suspected the nature of his knowledge, and if he had not 

 had a real good race by being beaten, well-founded 

 rumour sadly belied him. 



' There's Maid of the Mill,' Cranleigh observed, as a 

 little chesnut mare entered the paddock. ' Looks light," 

 he continued, as she passed them. 



' Yes, Stead always does gallop his horses to death. 

 I expect they've tried her half a dozen times, too, and 

 been no wiser afterwards,' his friend answered. ' They 

 are taking 6 to 1 about St. Christopher,' he went on, 

 nodding his head towards the horse mentioned, another 

 chesnut with a big white blaze on his face. 



' Yes, but I'm perfectly certain he does not stay a 

 mile and a half. I'm not in the least afraid of him,' 

 the owner of Eoquelaure replied. ' Have you seen 

 Smith, by the way ? ' 



' No, but I told you I'd had an answer, didn't I ? I 

 thought I did. His wire came while you were upstairs.' 



Ashdown handed the message to his friend. It ran : 

 '■ Message received, shall be attended to. Fifteen 

 hundred. Smith.' 



' By Jove ! he does look well, doesn't he ? ' Cranleigh 

 observed, as the horse passed them again. ' There's 

 Downs ; let's go and see what he says.' 



Tom Downs was the trainer of Eoquelaure, and he 

 greeted his employer and his friend with a touch of the 

 hat and a smile in which confident anticipation was 

 obvious. 



