Volume Ii Part 19 (1/2)
”What!” said the astonished old man, ”the Grand Silverpool?--my horses going to run for the Grand Silverpool? Oh, Master George, this is a joyful day. Guardsman will win it; he has never run, and if there is any justice he must be put in light. But who is to ride him?”
”Who?” returned his master. ”For your life, Tim, not a word.” And pulling him closer by the arm, whispered: ”MYSELF!”
”You, sir?--but your weight, sir? Twelve stun five and your saddle. Oh, no, Master George, that won't do.”
”Now, Tim, you are a clever fellow, but others are as knowing as you.
Look here. You see this weighing-chair; well, I bought that in London.
Now weigh me.”
The old man did as he was bid. ”Why, sir,” he exclaimed, after looking at it, ”only twelve stun one; four pounds lighter in less than a week, and without exercise.”
”Or physic,” continued Bradon. ”Banting, Tim, Banting. No bread, no b.u.t.ter, no sugar, no beer, no saccharine matter of any sort; plenty of meat, biscuits, toast, claret, and seltzer-water. That is my diet, and I never felt so well. If wanted I shall be able to ride eleven stone with the greatest ease.”
In a luxuriously-furnished dining-room, some three months after the events which we have described, five or six gentlemen were discussing their wine.
”I cannot make it out,” said a heavy-built man of five-and-forty or so; ”I have tried everything I know, and am not a bit the wiser than when I began. This Bradon is a most extraordinary fellow. I took the trouble of going down to Dorsets.h.i.+re myself, and all I could arrive at was that Bradon was travelling. The servants knew nothing, or would know nothing. They were aware the stud-groom had gone and taken two horses and a lad with him; that was all I could get out of them. Well, I went to the groom's house and saw his wife. She looked at me, and received me as if I had been a thief. It was a regular mull. That Bradon has got two horses with him I am certain; but what they are, and where they are, hang me if I can find out. I have tried every tout and stable in the kingdom, but to no purpose, so I have given it up as a bad job.”
”Ah!” replied a fas.h.i.+onably-dressed and bewhiskered young man, ”with all your cleverness and knowing dodges, you are bowled out, old boy. I know a little more than you. In my opinion George Bradon is training his horses quietly somewhere for the Silverpool. Both are well in, and the handicap has been accepted by him. He is a knowing hand, is Bradon.
Now, I got hold of a letter written to a friend of his just before he left England. No matter how or where I got it, this is what he says.”
And opening his pocket and taking out a letter he read the following:--
Bradon Hall, Nov. 1st.
”DEAR JACK,
”In answer to yours of this morning I am sorry I cannot accept your kind invitation. I'm off on a bit of travelling, for I am not at all in form. Fancy my disgust on weighing myself yesterday morning to find I was considerably over twelve stone--so you see an idle life will not do for me. I shall go to France first; I may probably remain there for some time. I have entered two nags for the Silverpool. I must engage some one to ride one; it matters little who will get the second mount, as he will merely be wanted to make running for the one I declare to win with.
”Yours, ever,
”GEORGE BRADON.”
”There!” he exclaimed, ”you see I know more than all of you. As for Bradon's riding, that is an utter impossibility, for both horses are in at ten twelve, and it is equally impossible to get any good hand to ride them now, as all are engaged.”
”By George, Fred!” exclaimed the first that had spoken, ”you have done wonders, but still I can make nothing of it. No end of odds have been offered against his nags for win or a place, and all have been eagerly taken up by the fellows of his old regiment. Why, Plunger alone stands to win over ten thousand. However, the horses are really coming into the betting, which they must not do. I must go down to the rooms to-morrow and give them such a tickler that will knock them out at once. It will not suit my book their taking prominent places in the market. By heaven! if either of them was to pull through I should be a ruined man, and others are in for double as much as I am.”
”My dear fellow,” put in a quiet, sly-looking little man, who had not yet spoken, ”you should not do such rash things. Flukes do happen--not that it is likely in this case. I always wait till the last moment, and then come with a rush when I know things are pretty safe.”
”Come with a rush,” replied a tall, delicate-looking stripling; ”a pretty rush you made of it last year. You prevented my getting on, and not only put me in the hole, but every one else who attended to you.”
”I could not help it, my dear boy,” returned the other, with a crafty smile. ”There is no occasion for you to ruin yourself too quickly, which you will do if you go on in such a reckless manner.”
”Reckless manner!” pa.s.sionately exclaimed the young fellow; ”why, you have had more of my money than any one else. Where others have had pounds you have had thousands, and now you talk to me of 'recklessness.' That is rather hard lines.”
”I meant no harm,” replied the other. ”I only think it is dangerous to lay against Bradon's horses at present.”
”No doubt you do,” said the youth, a little pacified; ”but I do not mean to take your advice in this case, and to-morrow, if I do not knock them out of the betting it shall not be my fault.”
So it was settled between them all over their wine and cigars that Bradon's horses should be set at on the morrow and sent out of market.