JUST IN TIME.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 433, 10 November 1898, Page 17

JUST IN TIME.

(By “ The Guv'nor” in the L.L.V. Gazette'}. I was at Lichfield races, and had remained on the course till after all the people had returned to the city for the purpose of seeing a horse I was interested in have a “rough up” with one which had been running during the day, and it was after six o’clock when, all alone, I set my face towards the city. Although it was more than a couple of miles to my destination, it was at that time my custom to walk down from the course, as I had many times witnessed the dangers attending the drive down in the wretched old conveyances which were pressed into this service on these occasions. I left the turnpike road and went by the back lanes, and was strolling leisurely along when, suddenly making a bend in the road, I came upon a scene' which quickened my movements. A hundred yards in front of me I beheld a couple of powerful young ruffians seize a slim, welldressed, young man with the evident intention of “ running the rule over him,” and there is no doubt that, but for my timely arrival, he would have had a rough time of it. The first intimation tbe ruffians had of the presence of a fourth party was when one of them got a tremendous whack from a strong cudgel I carried in my hand. The first effect of this was to liberate the young man, and then the thieves, seeing there were twi to two and one tolerably well armed, took to their heels and were soon out of sight. “ You had a near shave of being turned up, sir,” I said, recognising in the young man a youthful recruit to the Turf, who, however, has since become an important figure upon it. “ I had indeed,” he replied, “ and I have very much to thank you for your timely assistance.” The upshot of it was that we walked back to the city together, and over a bottle at the Swan he became very confidential about certain horses he was going to buy, and hoped he might be able to repay me for the services I had rendered him. Just as we were about to part, taking hold of my hand, he said, “I should like to do you a good turn, old fellow, and I think I know a real cert for a race at Warwick next week. You saw old Wynnstay run second for the Cup to-day ?” “ Yes, of course, I had seen that.” Well, take no notice of that,” he resumed; “ but look out for him in a race at Warwick, and don’t speak of it to anybody.” * * * * THE CERT WHICH FAILED.

I knew my young friend was in a position to r know more about it than I could, and I had the strongest reasons for believing he would do me a turn if he could, so I was on the watch for old Wynnstay the following week. I discovered him in a little handicap—l think only a paltry fiftypound plate the first day. When the number board was hoisted I found there were only five runners, and I made them out a very bad lot, and although Wynnstay was at that time no flyer, and had not, I believe, won a single race during the season, he appeared to have nothing to beat here. Handley rode him and Fred Webb Muezzin, and I must confess that I would have felt much more easy in my mind if the jockeys had been reversed. Well, the betting was 3 to 1 on the field, and at about this price the two I have named and one called Citron were backed furiously, while Distaff and Rhine Wine were also fancied. I had already backed the old horse for as much as I could well afford, and was about going on to the stand to see the race when I saw my young friend, book and pencil in hand, very busy taking all the s’s to 2 he could get Wynnstay. “ Have you backed him ?” he asked, quietly. “ I have,” I replied. “ Well, don’t be afraid,” he rejoined ; “ he will win easily.’’ At this I returned to my bookies and put down a considerable amount more, and did not reach ' the stand till the horses were on the way home. I was dreadfully nervous, because I knew that I had bet more than I ought on one race, and if it went against me it would pretty well skin me. The first good look I got of the race I could see that Wynnstay and Muezzin had slipped away from the field and were coming on by themselves, and the excited partisans of each a I around me were shouting themselves horse; I could not shout, tbe tension of my mind was too great for that. I could only stare straight at these two horses and the two lads on their backs, making ' superhuman efforts to get in front, and neither seemed able tn do it. I felt cold at the heart, and was conscious of turning all sorts of colors; it was quickly over, and I was out of one trouble to be in another. Muezzin, they said, had won by a short head; I could not have known that if I had not seen the fatal number go up. This, then, was the result of that young man’s genuine desire to help me, and this the reward of my good action, on his behalf, in the lonely Lichfield lane. I had lost all my money and should be a cripple, pecuniarily, for some time to come. But I lived to laugh at my folly in having so many eggs in one basket, and a long life with, perhaps, more than a fair share of life’s vissitudes has taught me that we cannot always tell which are our blessing and which our curses.