THE DEAD HEAT 119 



" Be seated, Colonel," said the steeple-chase rider ; 

 " I raay as well come to the point at once. D — , 

 of Galway, has a writ out against my person for 

 four hundred pounds. They tried to serve it on 

 me last night, and again this morning, the divil fly 

 away with them ! May the flames of " 



" What is to be done, Capt. O'Eooney ? " inter- 

 rupted the Colonel. " You know it is a p.p. bet, 

 and out of my power to do anything. Mr Fortescue 

 has only two hundred and fifty on it. The rest is 

 made up by gentlemen who will insist on the terms 

 of the bet being adhered to. You ridiculed our 

 offer of scratching the bet for a hundred : far better 

 for yourself had you done so. I should not like 

 any advantage taken of you, and you ought to 

 have a run for your money. What is it you 

 propose ? " 



" See, now, Colonel ; the only way is, that if you 

 do not hold me to the day, we can run it oft' on 

 Sunday." 



" Sir I Captain O'Eooney 1 " hotly interrupted 

 the Colonel ; " you must be mad ! Eide a steeple- 

 chase on a Sunday ! Do you suppose, sir, any of 

 my officers would be guilty of such a thing, or that 

 I would allow it ? " 



" See, now, Colonel," interposed the Captain, 

 " then there is no other way but Mr Fortescue let- 



