Sea Urchin.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXI, Issue 2778, 21 November 1931, Page 3

Sea Urchin.

BY E. C. BULEY. msmsmsm^3®mmsM®.

CHAPTER XL—(Continued)

I Peter set his jaw grimly, as he ; though* of this open declaration of 1 war. He had not the slightest intention of being driven out of Ihe field in such an airy fashion; and he was well aware that Camilla would not venture any further, along such lines. He felt it rather a compliment that the conspirators should wish to get rid of him; and it was surely an admission that they did not know how to set about it, when they entrusted the task to Edsell. Ledgeways, he felt sure, would stoutly deny that any desire. to eliminate Peter from the party existed, if he were tackled upon the subject.

While Peter was considering these matters, Gregory Despard appeared, in the light grey suit and panama hat which he had adopted for Goodwood races.

"Hello, Pete," he said. "Have you heard the news? That ass Ledgeways has turned my offer down. What do you think of that?" "I think it is a piece of amazing folly, sir," Peter said. "What do you think of it?" "I haven't made up my mind," the Australian said shortly. "Who's this man Edsell?"

"One of Ledgeways friends," Peter 'said. "H'm. He seems a charming fellow," Despard commented. "I should say that there was more to him, than to the rest of the bunch, all put together. But you don't like him, perhaps?"

"Perhaps he doesn't like me, sir," Peter replied cautiously. "I see. You'd rather that I formed my own opinion of him. Very well; only let Ledgeways know, when you get the chance, that he gets nothing at all, if he does not accept the offer I have made."

"Certainly sir—if I get a chance," Peter replied. The cars were drawing up before the house, in readiness to take the party off to the races. Presently the watchful Peter heard Ann's clear laugh; and saw her appear, in company with Ledgeways and Camilla, and with Edsell in attendance. She was openly amused at something Edsell was telling her; and when she took her place in the car, the recital was apparently unfinished. At any rate, she gestured for Edsell to take the seat by her side. Peter Gaunt watched them drive away; and was then claimed by Rhona Wayte.

"I'm so glad Dick Edsell has come, aren't you, Peter? she gushed. "This party looked like becoming a frost, after the muddle Ledgeways made at the races yesterday. But Dick has so much tact, don't you think?" "Oh, rather," Peter agreed "He's a wonderful chap, in a good many ways." CHAPTER XII. A Tip Fop Peter. Lord Ronnie Scaife was the younger brother of an Earl; a sportsman whoso income was never adequate to the varied calls upon it. Lord Ronnie was expected to marry money; but, apart from his vain pursuit of that object in life, and his general lack of brain's, he was quite a likeable and well-in-tentioned young man. On the arrival of the party at Goodwood, Ronnie chose to attach himself to Peter Gaunt in rather a marked fashion; and after one or two clumsy efforts, succeeded in drawing Peter away from the remainder of the party. "I say, Gaunt," he began. "We might do ourselves a bit of good today, you know. Potters has got a horse running in the Goodwood Stakes; and I fancy there is something doing if you follow me." Potters, it should be understood, was the name by which the sporting head of Ronnie's family was known among his intimates. "Goraline," Peter remarked, consulting his race card. "She is in at a very light weight, Ronnie; but I know nothing about her." "No, but dash it all, I do," Ronnie replied. "I know that she will win one of these long races, whenever she can be got fit and ready for it. This may be the day, don't you see. So I thought if you would come along and see Potters. ..."

"But why not see him yourself?" Peter asked.

"Oh, he knows I'm an ass," Ronnie said, "but he thinks that you are one of the right sort. I've heard him say so, in fact. He'd tell you like a shot, and you could slip a fiver on for me, and do yourself a bit of good, perhaps. What do you say?" "Well," Peter objected, "if your brother would tell me, surely he would tell you?" "Not at all, old thing," Ronnie countered. "He knows me, if you understand what I mean. If I knew his horse had a good chance, I'd have to tell any Johnnie who cared to ask the question. There are loads of people who will, naturally. But if I don't know, I can just say I don't, know; and of course, people will know that I don't know, if you follow me. All the same, you might slip the little fiver on for me, without my knowing a single thing about it." "I see," Peter laughed. "Very well, then; we'll find your brother,

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'and see whether it turns out as you say." The Earl was readily found, and his greeting of his younger brother pointed to the fact that Ronnie had made an accurate estimate of the amount of information he was likely to obtain. "Hello, Ronnie," he said, "Who let you loose in a place like this? And you look as if somebody had been feeding you with meat, too." "Hello, Potters," Ronnie replied. "1 say, you know Peter Gaunt, don't you? Sound man and all that, I mean." "Oh, hello, Gaunt," said the Earl, far more graciously. "I hope Ronnie isn't bothering you. He's the family pest, you know." "I'll be off," said Ronnie cheerfully. "I'll see you later, I expect, Gaunt." Peter exchanged smiles with Ronnie's brother, who said most amicably: "I was just going to take a look at my little mare. She's running in the Stakes, you know. Would you like to come along?" Peter accepted the invitation, arid presently made the acquaintance of a long, wiry mare, flve-years-old, and looking as hard and lean as a racing greyhound. "That's Coraline," said her owner proudly. "I mean to back her today, Gaunt, though that's not for everybody to know. Stephens, my trainer, has got her as he likes her, for the first time in two seasons. Please yourself, of course; but you'll never back a sounder ten-to-one chance, if you go racing for a century." i "Thanks," Peter said. "I'll put my maximum on her, if I may. A pony is the most I ever risked in my life; but she looks well enough to carry that much money of mine." "You'll not regret it," the owner promised. "But don't tell young Ronnie. I'd sooner broadcast my intentions than confide them to that ass."

"That's quite all right," Peter replied; and laughingly confided the arrangement Ronnie had made, for being kept in the dark. "He means no harm," Ronnie's brother admitted, joining in the laugh. "But he keeps strange company. It was a real relief, for once, to find him in company such as your own, Gaunt. But Ledgeways! I'm told that a poisonous chap called Edsell is with Ledgeways now. Is that so?" "That is so," Peter agreed. "Is there anything about Edsell. that you speak of him in that fashion?"

The racing peer shrugged his shoulders.

"Where does he come from?" he asked, "and why is he so damned fascinating? And why do his closest friends invariably come a cropper? Find out those things, Gaunt, and you'll know more about Eclsell than I pretend to know, or want to" know." Peter went off, turning over in his mind the rather unusu.il coincidence of this warning. The questions he had been asked were, the very questions which had been troubling him And the man who propounded them was a type, likely to reflect faithfully the opinion held about Dick Edseil by many who were too careful to express it in words.

In the paddock, Peter ran into Despard and Ann, and was hardly surprised to find Edseil accompanying them.

"Oh, Peter," Ann cried, in her customary manner. "We've been looking at New Toy, and I'm going to back him for a good win in the Stakes. Mr Etlsell introduced us to his owner, and we've got the straight tip that he's going to win." "So I want you to back him for me," Ann went on. "He's four to one, I'm told." "I'd rather not, if you don't mind, Ann," Peter said. "But why not?" Ann asked, a little puzzled, but without any sign of offence.

"Because I don't think he oan win," Peter said. "I'm sure that your information is excellent, and I know that he is a good staying colt. But I am backing something to beat him."

"Well, what difference does it make?" Ann demanded. "You back your fancy for yourself, and my fancy for me. Why not?" "It all depends how far you are going," Peter replied. "What did you intend to bet on New Toy?" "Why, £1,000," Ann said assuredly. "You knew that I meant to have one good gamble, just for the fun of it." "That's just it," Peter agreed. "I'd like you to win, when you risk a sum like that. But New Toy will be beaten."

He spoke with a certainty which was not assumed. Peter had a "hunch," as he called it; and felt as sure that New Toy would be beaten as he could possibly have felt, if the race bad been already run and he knew the result. Then Despard took a part in the conversation.

"I'm not asking what you are backing, Peter," he said mildly. "But I'll ask you to put as much on it for me as you arc risking for yourself." "That will be £25," Peter said. "You'd better follow your father's example, Ann. This is the only tip I shall be giving during the meeting." "And what is it, if one may ask?" Edseil asked, with his most engaging smile. (To be continued).