THE LAMENT OF THE LAYER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 35

THE LAMENT OF THE LAYER.

(By " Javelin," in the Leader.) 'Twas a mighty man of metal who to the ovener said, " Your horse is in good fettle, but you'd better run him dead. -—

The ba g- tailed mare might whop him, but to show I moan no 'kid,' If you promise nuTto stop him, I'll give you fifty ' quid.'" "It's a bargain," aaid the owner, and he went to tell the jock To take a pu'H at Jonah, and although be felt a shock The rider made no murmur as b.3 answered, "All right, boss," While firmer still and firmer grew the little chestnut 'os?. The layer was a cute '«n, so he atuck at 6 to 4 (If he'd been a less astute 'un he'd have offered 'em some more). Of backers there wera plenty, and whni ths owner said, "Vest Thirty pounds to twenty!" th^y could see he wasu'c dead. At event) in the running when they'd galloped half a mile Tiiis bookie who was cunning raked another little pile ; The chestnut horse was going well as round the turn they wheel'd, And still he never ceased to yell, "A pony on the field." Bui a sudden rhill came o'er him as he saw that in the straight The favourite, right before him, was coming fast, though late. He gave one Inns and painful stare — he couldn't tell which led, But the little ch-stnut caught the mare and did her by a head.

While the " hook " was sadly paying, said the owner in his grief, " What game have you boen playing, you infernal little thief?" " He come so awful fast, sir, that I didn't have no doubt," Said the boy, " that if I pulled.hhn they'd be sure 1o rub me out." The bookie lost four hundred, and the owner never " copped" The fifty — but a tenner on the bang-tailed mare he dropped. But at night that little jockey said, " I feel quite up to Dink ! " No wonder he was cocky— he'd a century in his kick!

It's a funny game is racing, and as Jsmmy Haye3 remarked In the witness box, an owner may be very often " narked." If he's jiggin' or a dead 'un, he doesn't always "cop " ; " There's only one that's certain — and that's the bloke on top ! "

A lady was elected as a member of tbe Westport School Committee. She received over 30 plumpers and yet was only third on the poll.

Much interest is taken in the introduction of acetylene gas at Nelson. Mercer's bicycle works are now illuminated wifch it, and the brilliancy of the light is much admired.

At Waimea West, Nelaon, on Saturday a kerosene lamp exploded setting fire to the dresa of Mrs Claridge, whose husband succeeded in saving her, but the bouse was burned to the ground. The only insurance was £100. Mr Claridgc io a heavy loses*