A JOURNEY FROM THE RAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8670, 12 September 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

A JOURNEY FROM THE RAGES.

On* of those men, I am, not over scrupulous about tho way I make my money so long as I make it. There's not many dodges or queer fakes going on that I haven't had a hand in, or don't know something about. Misfortune and me don't jog on very long together. There's such a lot of fools in the world that a man

with a littlo brass, moro cheek, and no conscience need never starve in London— nor anywhere else, for that matter. There isn't a man or woman born that hasn't a

weak or foolish spot -somewhere about their anatomy— that out, and you've hit the bull'seye. Well, without any more rigmarole, I'll lot out something about myself which tickles my fancy so much at odd times that I'm obliged to let off steam in tho shape of a bursting good laugh, or feel like choking. One of tno ways I have of making a tenner or two occasionally is this:—You get a stool, a pair of blue goggles, false side whiskers and beards of 'different colours, and some outlandish toggery which can bo worn inside out, if necessary, and in which your own mother wouldn't know you, a bag, a pair of race glasses, and a nice, sedate young man, dressed like a curate, to clerk for you. There's a race meeting going on somewhere about twenty miles outside London. It's holiday time, and there's a splendid crop of juggins about, intent on making a bit, and I give them a chance by laying the odds. If you back a loser you lose your money ; if you back a winner you lose your money just the same, for I don't part with any of Victorias shiners, yellow or white, if 1 can help it, once I get them. It isn't so easy as it used to be, this welshing game, but I've made it pay very well up to now. At a summer meeting about fifteen years back, tv large-sized woman, rather quietly dressed and wearing a pair of folders, rushed up to me in a state of rare excitement, with a flimsy in her hand. 1 noticed she had a good grip on it, for fear ot the " snatchdrs," as 1 supposed. I weighed her up quickly as belonging to one of the drags near by, and that she had given her chums the slip to do a bit of backing on her own account; but what I thought most about was tho strength of the note and how many yellow boys it was worth. Kho glanced quickly at the card stuck in front of my hat and at the head of my list —1 was using the namo of a well-known firm, good enough for ten thousand pounds. "Mr. Val," she asked, "what are you laying against Bravo Hero for the Karrs Handicap?"the principal race of the day, for which the horse in question "was a hot favourite. 44 Threo to * one, madam," I replied. The market price was about half those odds, for the horse was as near a dead certainty as could be. "Thank yon I'll take that price for this," and she handed me the notea fiver. " Book £15 to £5 Bravo Hero," I shouted to my clerk, giving her a ticket. In the excitement that followed to see the numbers up for tho next event she was either elbowed out of sight or rejoined her friends. Wo stood our ground for the race—the fifth on the programme—and took small money as fast us we could book it. It was a five furlong sprint, and a large field turned up. We couldn't lose anything, they were all so well backed. As it happened, an outsider won, and we had a skinner —not a copper to pay out. Then came the Narrs Handicap, and I gave my man the griffin to prepare for a bolt. I always contrived, if possible, to catch a train back to town before the rush for the station after the day's sport was ended, and, for policy sake as well, I never stopped to the finish, unless it was a Derby day. The last race had been a bad one for backers; there would bo some plunging now to get back their losses, and Brave Hero was backed like billy ho ! The bell rang, the signal to clear the course, the preliminary gallop gone through, and every head was in the direction of the starting post. After a false start or two, "They're off!" was shouted from a thousand throats. And so were we! We did the disappearing gentleman trick very nicely, changing our clobber presently under cover of a hedge. It would have taken a clever one to have recognised in me the layer of odds of a few minutes back, in my everyday outfit and smooth-shaven face. I gave my clerk some quids for a spree, leaving him to get home as he pleased. It does not do for birds of a feather to flock together too near the sheep, after you have fleeced them. Upon counting up, 1 found I had netted some sixty odd pounds. After a drink of ale and a snack of bread and cheese I walked leisurely towards the station. As luck would have it, there was a train ready to start, with only a few passengers — probably backers dead broke, with only their return tickets, or members of my own fraternity, clearing off with tho loot. I had a compartment all to myself—second class—and was lying comfortably back congratulating myself upon having done a good day's work, and thinking of seeing my Flo, whom I had wired to meet me on the platform, meaning to have a slap-up dinner and a box at the " Pa v.," when the door opened softly, and a veiled lady entered, She sat down nearest the entrance, appearing perfectly unconscious of my presence, and it wa3 only when the train had started that I began to feel a sensation as of being closely scrutinised. I am naturally gallant to the fair sex, but had cut. my wisdom teeth long ago with reference to women, and didn't feel particularly easy at being alone with this one, who seemed a youngish sort of a party and rather well-built. I smiled to myself as I fancied Flo, who was frightfully jealous, dropping in upon us just then. It was a smoking carriage, so to cover the slight sense of uneasiness that was creeping over me I lit a cigar, and puffed away as hard as I could; but she sat perfectly still, not even a cough escaping from her, although, my whifFer was a particularly green one. I noticed now that she carried a black bound book in her hand, which seemed to me to be purposely held so that I could see the title upon the back in large gilt lettersßook of Common Prayer. 44 Ah," thought I to myself, "a Bible apouter." That made me feel a bit easier in my mind, and I enjoyed my smoke better and in milder fashion. The train now slowed up. It was making its first and only stoppage before it reached London. After leaving this station there would be a straight twenty minutes' run to Euston, which was evidently the destination of the Book of Common Prayer and its owner. Two or three passengers got out, but none entered. We were still alone, but the fidgets had left me, /aid as we sped along again I closed my eyes, and began to wonder whether Brave Hero had passed the post first, of which I had little doubt, for the wind had brought to us faraway from the course the echoing shout 3 confirming that ho had won, and then I pictured the consternation of the lady with the folders when she came to look for her winnings, her equivalent for five pounds being a bit of worthless pasteboard. My face at the picture I had conjured up broadened out into a grin, which, however, was quickly changed'into doubt and dismay. The voice in the corner had spoken. Friend, thy mirth is unseemly, ft becometh thee not to mock at tho Book of God." The words were harmless enough, but the voice sounded unpleasantly familiar. I felt as if my hat was being raised several inches by the action of my hair, which had taken one of those unaccountable frights which come to the pluckiest of us—and I am riot by any means a nervous sort of chap. But it was the voice that had won £15 over the winner of the Narrs Handicap : and yet how could anyone with the Quaker lingo and a Book of Common Prayer have anything to do with the iniquities and sinful ways of a racecourse? I looked keenly at the veil. The only thing I could distinguish through its darkly black fold was the glitter of a pair of steel grey eye«. They gave me no clue, for I could not remember tho colour, and the countenance was completely hidden. But whether it was Brave Hero's backer or not, she evidently hadn't recognised me, minus my side ornaments, which my clerk had in his possession. She had evidently misconstrued my grin into a laugh at the Book of Common Prayer, and her religious zeal had prompted her to address me. My tongue acted as a good servant for once—when one is taken by surprise the clacker sometimes gives you away and I remarked, quietly enough, " I be" 1 your pardon, madam. 1 can assure you " But here I stopped, for she had slowly lifted her veil, and producing a pair of folders placed them upon her snub little nose—and there was my damsel of the racecourse looking at mo with the most unblushing effrontery. You can bet I was in a bib of a stew, and wondered what it van that had given me away. She was a

big woman, and there was a determined screw about the set of the mouth not over pleasant to look at, and, the worst of it all, wo were rapidly nenring Euston. I saw at once she had me set, and that I had met with a female sharp who knew almost as much as myself, but whom I had overreached by my liberal oiler of the odds of three to one when the market prico was about half. Bad as she might be herself, it wouldn't pay me to pet denounced as a welsher, and possibly detained. And then there was Flo to be considered, waiting my arrival at Euston. I accepted tho situation, and, with a laugh which I tried to make as jovial as tho circumstances would permit, said, " Well, what do you want "Oh, so you remember me," she said, snappishly. "And I remember you. Youi-'e not so smart as you imagine. That ring on your little finger gave you away. One doesn't seo an opal ring like yours worn on tho little finger every day. What do 1 want? That's cool ! I want £15, my boy, at the very least; and make haste and part, or I'll mako you pay thirty before I've done with you. I'll let you off I light, as we both swim in the same boat. Now, make haste and tip us up the rhino. You've had a good day, 1 know. If you don't—" and here she put her head out of tho window, disarranged her hair as quickly as thought, and actually pulled a button or two oft'the bosom of her dress. " We're in siffht of the station. I'll scream out that you've attempted to kiss mo." Whew! I Mas in for it! What a demon ! What a pity we .weren't together on a lonely common, without a chance of being observed. I'd have given her shapely throat a grip she wouldn't have been able to remember. " Here you are, my beauty," I blurted out, with an oath, you may bo sure. "Here's your money." _As the train steamed into tho station, I counted the last sovereign into her hand. I had a knock-down blow when I bought the " Special," and read that Brave Hero had been- beaten on tho post by a short head by Craven Cur. The only tiling I was thankful for about tho whole business was that Flo never knew anything about it. I should never have heard the last of it.