342 TOLD AFTER MESS 



with me : we'll see the Yet., and find out what can 

 be done.' 



" Away we went to the Vet.'s office, and fortun- 

 ately found him in. Laughton related the whole 

 affair to him, and wound up by saying, ' I don't 

 want you to do anything that isn't strictly right, 

 you know ; but if you can see a way of helping us 

 out of the difficulty, I shall be awfully obliged. The 

 worst of it is that it's a young horse — Bradford.' 



" ' Bradford ? Oh, no ; I saw Bradford in his 

 stall not ten minutes ago.' 



" ' Are you sure of that ? ' 



" ' Oh, perfectly.' 



" ' How strange ! I sent a man down to the 

 stables this morning to tell them to send Bradford 

 up — but I'll ask him at once : he's just in the yard 

 there,' and the next minute we were eagerly ques- 

 tioning the ' Tommy ' as he stood rigidly at attention. 



" ' Did you tell them I wanted Bradford ? ' 



" ' Yessir.' 



" ( What did they say ? ' 



" ' Said there was no such 'orse as Radford.' 



u ' Bradford, I said.' 



" ' Beg pardon, sir. Understood the name was 

 Kadford, and the Sergeant ' 



" ' Yes, the Sergeant, what did he say then ? ' 



" ' Said I was a hass, sir ' 



" ' Quite right, go on,' said the Major, encouragingly. 



