They Sometimes Come Off

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1940, Page 11

They Sometimes Come Off

By Alan Kent

OTEPHEXS, the clerk, knocked and went into the manager's office.

Jordan was saying into the 'phone, "All right, Percy, I'll see tliat that stuff is sent to you before, the end of the week. No, we won't keep you waiting this time, old man." Then Jordan smiled and said, '"Know a good one for Saturday ?"' He chuckled. "What? Panther? Go on, it's never done anything. Where did you get that from? Oil, from the owner —-well, different. Yes, I'll put my shirt on it. Thanks for the tip." Stephens said: "Here's the stock of single thirty seconds 011 hand, Mr. Jordan." "Oh, thanks, Stephens." Stephens walked out with a glint in his eye. He was impressing it on his mind—Bantlier, Flemington, Saturday. Carlton, the suburban traveller, came in to pick lip a couple of special orders. Passing Stephens he said, "Hullo, young feller. Still slaving at the books ?" Stephens turned, waving a pen. "Hey, just a sec," he said. "What's on your mind?" Stephens looked wise. "Want a good one for Saturday? The Big Noise just gave it to me —Panther He gets the tips, you know. This ortr;'s right from the owner." "Say, you must be getting sweet,'' said the traveller. "The d'.g won't give me any tips—he's thinking of giving me the sack." His eyes narrowed. "Panther, eh? That's in the third." He stared at Stephens. "You're sure you've got it right. Panther'll be about forties." "Jordan got it from the owner." Carlton drew in air. "This is just the sort of thing I've been waiting for. thanks, son—l'll go for that." Carlton stopped the car outside a small sut>yr<ban drapery shop. "Here's those specials, Mrs.' Simmons. Nice pullovers, all right." The woman behind the counter looked at them and said, "That blue is not quite the shade I wanted, but I suppose it will do." Carlton said, "And what else arc you wanting now, Mrs. Simmons?" She said, "I'm wanting a lot. I'm wanting a hundred pounds, but I can't order anything more. Money's too scarce." "Ah, well," said Carlton. Then he said, "Tell you what. Put a couple of quid on Panther in the third at Headquarters on Saturday, and you'll nearly get your hundred." He pointed a finger. "Now that's a tip direct from the owner." The baker eame in. Mrs. Simmons took half a loaf and said, "You're a betting man, aren't you? Well, the traveller from the Supreme Knitting Mills was here a while back. He's a friend of the owner of a horse called Panther. He says it's going to win on Saturday." "Does he now?" said the baker. The baker delivered bread to Mrs. Jones. "Tell the old man," he said, 'That I know a chap who knows the owner of Panther. And Panther's going on Saturday." Ted Mayne slouched into the barber shop. He was sick of the bristles on his face. But he couldn't be bothered shaving himself. You only paid threepence at this barber shop.

There was a chap in the chair, and the barber was chatting. "Mick Jones was in a while ago," the barber said. "He's got a direct tip from the owner of Panther—says it's a cert for this arvo." "That's a funny thing," said the man in the chair. "I always thought that nag would come good." Mayne got shaved and walked home. Somehow the name "Panther" stuck on his mind. His wife had prepared as good a lunch as she could under their existing strict economic conditions. She said, "Oh, I do' wish you could hurry up and get ■work." Mayne shrugged. "Ah, well. In another week I'll be eligible for the dole." She looked at him. "Poor boy," she said. The name Panther stuck on Mayne's mind. Finally he went to the box where their last three pounds were hidden. He then went for a short walk. Just before 4 o'clock he said again, "Think I'll go for a stroll." She said, "Darling, you're so restless." Mavne stood by the bar clenching an almost empty pot. The wireless said: "Half-way down the straight Our Martin is just in front of Perriton, with Winsome Lady half a length behind. But Our Martin is going away now. ,But Panther on the outside is coming very fast. Panther has got up with Perriton and Winsome Lady, Our Martin a length in front. But Panther goes after him. Our Martin weakened badly 1 Panther gets on terms with Our Martin! But Our Martin will hold him! No. Panther just gets in front on the post, and wins by half a head from Our Martin, with Winsome Lady, a length and a half away, third." Mayne said to the barman, "Give me a bottle of good sherry." When he handed the sherry to his wife she said, "What in the world . . ." He said, "I risked a pound on a winner. And what a winner. I'll bet I can get work before we spend what I'll be collecting." Cailton swung into the outer office, "Well, son, did you back it?" Stephens grinned. "Sure. Stuck two bob each way on it. All right, eh! I told you it was good." "Two bob! The devil you did—why, I put a liver on it. Listen, son, you're on a couple of quid for the tip. Remind me when I come in this afternoon." Jordan, the manager, took William North, the buyer for Castle's, to lunch. North said, "How'd you go on Saturday " "No good. Lost a packet on Our Martin." North said, "Oh, yes. That was beaten by Panther—real turn up, wasn't it." Jordan grunted. "Should think it was. Thirty-threes." Then he smiled. "You know Percy Harris? Well, I asked him if he knew anything for Saturday. I often do just a little joke we have, y'see. He knows nothing about horses at all—doesn't worry. He always tells me some goat of a thing and makes out it's right from the owner. Just a joke, y'see. Well, he gave me this awful thins Panther." ® Jordan dug into his chop. "Wish I'd darn well taken his advice—don't suppose he was even sure it was running on Saturday, either."