WHO IS TO RIDE HIM? 319 



A dozen glasses were at once levelled at the 

 object. 



" Whose drag ? " said the sly-looking little man 

 we have alluded to before. " Why, Lord Plunger's. 

 George Bradon is sitting on the box seat with him, 

 and the rest are officers of his old regiment — I 

 know their faces." 



" By jingo ! " burst out a score of voices : " then 

 he is in England, and come to see his horses 

 run, or scratch them. Now we shall know some- 

 thing." 



" I wonder if he will be flattered when he hears 

 the price his nags are at now ? " said another. 



" He will not care a rap," said the sly-looking 

 little man. " Look out, my boys, there's something 

 up, you may depend. Bradon, if his horses do go, 

 has something pretty good, you may rely. I 

 warned you all before. Now, I have not laid a 

 penny against his nags. I have let them alone — 

 till the last minute. But here they come." 



" Hallo, Bradon ! " burst out fifty voices. " What, 

 in England ! Come to see the nags beaten ? " 



" Well, I do not know," said George, shaking 

 hands with some of them. " I hope they will be 

 there, or thereabouts ; pretty heavy the ground to- 

 day. My horses can stand it, which a good many 

 of the others cannot." 



