88 Silk and Scarlet, 



Land racing," which the latter detested so much till 

 he tasted its sweets with Oiseau and Otter of his 

 cherished Camillus blood, was talked of all over the 

 county. George Sundley, who was once a noted 

 cock-setter, and Michael Brunton, the Richmond 

 druggist, became as nothing when Gully, Ridsdale, 

 and Justice opened their betting-books and " pep- 

 pered" and backed horses in earnest as well; and 

 even Tommy Swan, the amateur horse-dealer, who 

 was lean, high-shouldered, and would lay against 

 any mortal thing, began to draw off in the face of 

 such rivals, and reseek his quiet parlour in the inn at 

 Bedale. 



The betting mart at Doncaster up to Tarrare's year 

 was the long narrow upper-room at the Salutation, 

 and it was there that Jim Bland delivered his porten- 

 tous offer of " A hundred to your walking-stick against 

 Theodore r Many quite as odd wagers as that were 

 heard on the Stand. A Yorkshire Friend laid the 

 owner of Antonio lo/. even, that he couldn't whistle 

 when the horses came in. Mr. Ferguson accordingly 

 commenced when they were at the distance, and right 

 loud and shrill was the note. " Nay,'' said the crafty 

 layer, " thou innst only ivhistle when I tell thee',' and 

 as they swept past with the scarlet in front and 

 Wrangler at his girths, the signal was given, but the 

 lucky lawyer could only make a blow of it. When 

 the new rooms once opened their flower-clad portals, 

 Lord Kennedy was the mightiest hero over their 

 Board of Green Cloth. One evening it was as much 

 as one friend at his side could do to stuff the bank- 

 notes into his coat pockets, as he won eight mains at 

 hazard in succession ; and when the emulous ardour 

 of the spectators almost foamed into frenzy, a man 

 near the table sold his seat for five guineas ! 

 The Holywell As the ceutury wore on, Mr. Watt and 

 Hunt Club. ]y[j. Petre began to be names of dread at 

 Doncaster, as Earl Fitzwilliam and Lord Archibald 



