e run on the 14th September, and while
Lord Silverbridge was amusing himself with the deer at Crummie-Toddie
and at Killancodlem with the more easily pursued young ladies, the
indefatigable Major was hard at work in the stables. This came a
little hard on him. There was the cub-hunting to be looked after,
which made his presence at Runnymede necessary, and then that
"pig-headed fellow, Silverbridge" would not have the horses trained
anywhere but at Newmarket. How was he to be in two places at once?
Yet he was in two places almost at once: cub-hunting in the morning
at Egham and Bagshot, and sitting on the same evening at the
stable-door at Newmarket, with his eyes fixed upon Prime Minister.

Gradually had he and Captain Green come to understand each other, and
though they did at last understand each other, Tifto would talk as
though there were no such correct intelligence;--when for instance he
would abuse Lord Silverbridge for being pig-headed. On such occasions
the Captain's remark would generally be short. "That be blowed!"
he would say, implying that that state of things between the two
partners, in which such complaints might be natural, had now been
brought to an end. But on one occasion, about a week before the race,
he spoke out a little plainer. "What's the use of your going on with
all that before me? It's settled what you've got to do."

"I don't know that anything is settled," said the Major.

"Ain't it? I thought it was. If it ain't you'll find yourself in the
wrong box. You've as straight a tip as a man need wish for, but if
you back out you'll come to grief. Your money's all on the other way
already."

On the Friday before the race Silverbridge dined with Tifto at the
Beargarden. On the next morning they went down to Newmarket to see
the horse get a gallop, and came back the same evening. During all
this time, Tifto was more than ordinarily pleasant to his patron. The
horse and the certainty of the horse's success were the only subjects
mooted. "It isn't what I say," repeated Tifto, "but look at the
betting. You can't get five to four against him. They tell me that
if you want to do anything on the Sunday the pull will be the other
way."

"I stand to lose over L20,000 already," said Silverbridge, almost
frightened by the amount.

"But how much are you on to win?" said Tifto. "I suppose you could
sell your bets for L5,000 down."

"I wish I knew how to do it," said Silverbridge. But this was an
ar