126 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



These men have been able sometimes to ' spot ' a 

 horse for a particular race many months before it 

 could be run, enabling their employers to win con- 

 siderable sums of money by backing the animal when 

 a big price could be got against its chance. Anec- 

 dotes have from time to time been related of the 

 tricks resorted to by touts to obtain information as to 

 the training and tiials of horses. Owners of race- 

 horses as a rule detest touts, and when they have a 

 horse to try for some important race, study to mislead 

 them, or throw them quite off the scent, by putting 

 fanciful w^eights on the animals taking part in the 

 trial, and by other devices ; but it is a difficult matter 

 to baftle a tout. No matter whether the sun shine or 

 the wind blow, the tout will be looking from some 

 coign of vantage in an open drain, from a haycock or 

 corn-rick, or from any spot where he can observe what 

 is doing on the particular training-ground which it is 

 his duty to watch. A certain nobleman once upon a time 

 captured a body of touts, and had them driven in an 

 omnibus to a distant town, where dinner had been 

 ordered for them. In their absence an important trial 

 was brought off, of which they were duly informed, too 

 late, of course, to be of use to them. Some trainers 

 have their training-grounds well searched by men and 

 dogs, so as to be pretty sure their trials will not be 

 overlooked. But even exceedingly vigilant people 

 have been deceived. ' You need not mind that poor 

 old mushroom-gatherer,' said a trainer to his men ; 

 'she'll not know what we are doing.' But in that the 

 trainer was wrong, the poor old woman being a tout 

 in disguise, who saw all that he wanted to see, and so 



