WHO IS TO RIDE HIM % 321 



" Oh," said George, " who is to ride him ? — why, 

 I will tell you in one word, it's a fellow you all 

 know pretty well — Myself." 



Had a thunderbolt fallen amongst . them they 

 could not have been more astonished. 



" What ! " they one and all exclaimed, " you ? 

 Why you told us not an instant ago that you 

 weighed twelve stone five." 



" No, my friends, I did not. I said, in answer 

 to a question, that I had weighed twelve stone 

 five. I told you I had put sixteen pounds on, but 

 I did not tell you I had not taken it off. I walk 

 ten stone ten now — Banting, my boys, Banting. 

 And, listen to me, I shall win if I can, and I have 

 a good chance ; but, win or lose, this is my last 

 appearance in public. I've grown immense, have I 

 not, old fellow ? " addressing himself to the one who 

 had made the remark. " I shall want a dray-horse 

 soon, shall I not ? " 



" By G — ," said the sly-looking little man, " I 

 thought there was something up. The very best 

 hand in England going to ride his own horse. I'll 

 be off to back him." 



The tall youth before alluded to turned deadly 

 pale, but not a word did he utter as he walked 

 away. 



In less than five minutes it became known in 

 II x 



