A Lucky Mistake 



229 



' I was just going round to see if I could catch you 

 in, sir,' he said, the smile on his jolly, broad features 

 growing even more pronounced. 



' Oh, were you ? ' Ashdowu remarked. He settled by 

 cheque; the letter would have gone by an early post, 

 and he could not understand with what object Smith 

 had intended to visit him. 



'Yes, sir, and I must congratulate you. Sorry I 

 can't do the same to you, Mr. Cranleigh,' he added, with 

 a nod to the owner of Koquelaure. ' I thought you were 

 going to win — thought you had won, too, till the number 

 went up.' 



An expression of blank amazement was on Ashdown's 

 features. Congratulations ? On what ? Why was he 

 to be congratulated for losing 1,500/. by a short head, 

 and that, too, after victory and success had looked so 

 certain ? Cranleigh was equally puzzled, and looked it. 



' But I don't understand, Smith. You got my wire, 

 I know, for I received your answer, and you acted on it 

 surely ? ' Ashdown exclaimed, the idea occurring to him 

 that possibly Smith had been in some way prevented 

 from getting on, or, on second thoughts, that there was 

 something wrong about the winner ; and yet, it oc- 

 curred to him the next second, he had just said he 

 could not congratulate Cranleigh. What could it mean ? 



' There's no objection to Projectiles, is there ? ' he 

 inquired, however. 



' Objection ? Bless you ! no, sir. What made you 

 think of that ? ' he said. ' She's right enough ! ' 



' But you got my wire — what did you do ? You put 

 the money on '? ' Ashdown continued. 



'Why, yes, sir,' Smith rejoined, now beginning to 

 look puzzled himself. ' I got a bit on at twenties, then 



