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matter ? " we all exclaimed at once. " See for yourselves," 

 he said. " Is he the wrong age ? " we queried. Then 

 Davies spoke up. " Well, I will tell you the truth. The 

 fact is we found out just now, while the horses were being 

 clipped, that ' Perchance ' had the teeth of a five-year-old, 

 so we planned this inspection to give you a chance. Do 

 you mean to say that you did not know anything about 

 it ? " " I'll swear I did not," he replied ; and knowing him 

 very intimately, and that his word was thoroughly to be 

 relied upon, we were perfectly satisfied as to his innocence. 

 " Do the lads know about it ? " we then asked him. " I 

 don't know, I am sure," was his reply ; " but we will soon 

 find out." Alfred Wood, the head jockey, was then called 

 up, and the question put to him : " How old is ' Perchance ' ? 

 " Pour years," he replied, with a look of amazement ; " why, 

 he is in the colt race " (which was for three-year-olds and 

 four-year-olds only). " Look at his mouth," said the 

 trainer. Wood did so, and then turning round with a 

 grin, he said, " Why, he is five years old." " Yes," replied 

 the other ; " did you not know ? " " No," returned Wood, 

 " we bought him last year as a three-year-old, and I never 

 looked in his mouth since." " Does Adams know ? " 

 queried the trainer. " I doubt it," replied Wood. " Here, 

 Adams ! " he shouted ; " how old is ' Perchance ' ? " Four 

 years," was his reply. " Well, see his mouth," said Wood. 

 " He is five," remarked the other, after a lengthened 

 examination. " Did you know before now ? " was then 

 put to him ; but just as his brother- jockey had stated, he 

 also had never thought of looking at the colt's mouth. On 

 further inquiry into the matter, it turned out that a 

 mistake had been unintentionally made in the age of the 

 colt in the certificate that bad been then given, for his 



