A Merry Xmas

Observer, 21 December 1893, Page 32

A Merry Xmas

A Character Sketch with a Doubtixjl Moral. [By Hawksworth Brown.]

mERRY Christmas, indeed ! Poor show there was of anything of the kind for Bob and me. Our luck was fairly out, and we were stone-broke . ▼ Meeting after meeting we had attended with our little string of prads, and not a win had we got^ Nearly all our ready cash had gone in nominations, acceptances, and travelling ex.'s. Bob said at last in despair : " Here goes to chuck up being honest, Archie. We've been running on the square all these months, and what have we got for it ? Honesty's played out. You get all you can against our mokes to-morrow, and Johnnie Armstrong's going to ride this journey." " But what money can I get against them, when every one on the course knows me as owner of the horses? Try and talk sense, even if you haven't got any." " Steady, old pal, don't get on your ear until you've got cause to. I'll take the horses up to Camford to-morrow. You go away sick to Christchurch to-night. Go toßrice's first thing in the morning, and get him to fix you up with a wig and false beard, and buy a 255. suit of reach-me-downs, with any amount of creases in them. You're just in from a station in the back country, do you tumble ?" " All right, matey, but take care. Old Rutherton is one of the stewards, and he's got a sharp eye for Johnnie Armstrong. We can't stand getting disqualified." I did my part of the contract all right, Bob did his cleverly and we netted about £35 over the Maiden Plate of £10 by not winning. For the big event, our best one, The Doctor, was made the favourite at even money, and, backing against him, I stood to win £120. I'd kept my eye on old Rutherton while the Maiden was being run, and felt uneasy when I saw his binocular go up to his optics sharply as the horses were turning into the straight, and longed to caution Bob, but daren't go near him. The Doctor was fairly on the job, and could have romped home, but Bob knew that winning meant ruin to us. He tried to steady him at the back of the course, and I saw Rutherton drop his glass, and heard him say to his fellow stewards " See that. I thought so before, now I'm sure." Still the Doctor kept ahead, and Bob had to make him bolt off the course to stop his winning . Result — the Doctor and his owner and rider disqualified for two years. Of course I couldn't collect the wagers on a disqualified horse. That £120 would have paid off the bill of sale the Britannia Finance Co. (otherwise Aaron Shimei) held over all our horses, bar The Doctor, interest on which had accumulated frightfully, and given us a fresh start, Aaron read of the occurrence in the Times next day,

. foreclosed at once, and left us with a disqualified horse for a racing stud. Bob was furious, and vowed he would get even with old Kutherton, whom he somewhat irrationally blamed for the disaster. " Look here, Archie, I got you into this mess, and I'l pull you out of it too. Next Saturday week, the shearing will be through at his shed, and they're going to Kave some sports and races in the afternoon. I'll be there and so will you, but old Eagle-eye won't know it, for all his goldrimmed goggles and binoculars. Here's our lay " — but the plan will unfold itself, and needn't be explained here. On the following Tuesday, a young gentleman, " quite English " from his tall straw hat to his russet boots, presented a letter of introduction and his card to Mr. Rutherton from Sir Alfred Conyston, of Temple Gate, London, whom the old gentleman had been delighted to meet when on a trip home. "Pleased to see you, I'm sure, Mr. Netherton; any friend of Sir Alfred's is my friend, sir. You'll stay with us a week or two, of course." Mr. Netherton " didn't know if he could, wanted to be in Christchurch for Christmas; promised to, in fact." " Stay till our shearing's over. We're all going down, girls and all, in the evening train next Saturday," urged Mr. Rutherton, and Mr. Netherton consented, and spent a very pleasant week in the company of the said girls. Saturday came all too soon. The sports were quite interesting to the visitor. " Something so fresh, you know, so unique." The event of the day, the Shearers' Purse, for horses owned and ridden by shearers, was being got ready for, when a hard case, apparently half drunk, led his horse up to the post. " Say, mister, can I put in my horse. I haven't been working in your shed. I've just come from Sir John Wall's." A discussion among the stewards ensued, but he was finally given permission to enter and paid his fee. The English gentleman backed the new-comer freely. "British fair-play, you know. Give a stranger a show." More money was wagered on that race than on many a well-advertised Cup, for Rutherton's neighbours were gathered and represented capital enough between them to start a bank. In their desire to take down the newchum, of whose popularity with the ladies present they were absurdly jealous, they took his wagers freely. " "Don't believe he' has the money to pay with if he loses. All the better if he hasn't, 'twill show him up," growled one man, voicing the feelings of the rest, When the mud-covered, brokendown old crock buried his opponents, and won easily, the " confounded English puppy " raked in his wagers gleefully. " Five ponies and a tenner, by Jove ! Here, my man, take the odd money," said he, and handed £35 to the successful stranger. " That's a good horse. Give you a £10 note for him," sung out a visiting sheep-owner. "Five of 'em wouldn't buy him," said the man. Other offers were made, Mr. Rutherton topping the bids with an offer of £30. •* Look here, Mr. Rutherton, I don't want to sell the horse, and I don't want to displease you. Tell you what I'll do. I'll run him again that Apremont colt as you're going to run at the Summer Meeting at Riccarton, and I'll wager my horse against your £100." Mr. Rutherton, whose cupidity was stronger than his sense of dignity, eagerly took the offer, confident in the prowess of his highly-bred colt, and the details of the match were quickly arranged. Bets were freely made, Mr. Netherton being quite energetic in the matter." " Really, you know, this £100 was won by him. Feel bound in honour to put it all on him again. Throwing the money away ; but still, you know, British fair play. Help the under dog, you know." "Oh, I'll oblige you, Mr. Netherton." "And I." " And I." And the £100 and a trifle more was quickly appropriated at 3 to 1. The race was run. Bob rode cleverly, for all his apparently amateurish style, and The Doctor just got home by half-a-length. When Sir Alfred Conyston's young friend and the half-drunken shearer met at the White Hart that evening, they drew up the following balance-sheet : — Dr. £. s . d. To new clothes, portmanteaux, engraving cards, railway fare, etc 18 10 5 Dye for horse's legs, old saddle, swag, billy 1 18 3 Entrance fees 0 10 0 £15 18 8 Cr. £ s . d. By my wagers on Shearer's Purse . . . . 135 0 0 Stake and Bob's wagers 24 7 6 Rutherton's wager on match.. .. .. 100 0 0 My bets on ditto 352 0 0 £611 7 6 Credit balance £595 9 1 " Struck old Eagle-eye that time, eh, Archie ? Guess we'll have a real merry Christmas after all. Who'd have thought it a fortnight ago ?"