"You've lived all your life at the 'Farm,' Josh,
And you'll still live on there till you die!
'Tain't for me to tell stable secrets,
But I know--well, just what I know:
Go! say that in less than a month, Josh,
You'll pay every penny you owe."

* * * * *

"A couple o' hundred" was wanted
To pull good old Joshua right;
I was only a lad; but I'd "fifty"--
My money went that night,
Every penny on "Painted Lady"
For the "Stakes" in the coming week.
I should 'ave backed her afore, sir;
But waited for master to speak
As to what he intended a-doing,
I thought 'twas a "plant"--d'ye see?
With a bit o' "rope" in the question,
So I'd let "Painted Lady" be.
I knew she _could_ win in a canter,
As long as there wasn't no "fake."
And now--well, I meant that she _should_ win,
For poor old Josh Grinley's sake.

* * * * *

The three-year old "Painted Lady"
Had never been beat in her life;
And I'd always 'ad the mount, sir;
But rumours now 'gan to get rife
That something was wrong with the "filly".
The "bookies" thought everything "square"--
For them--so they "laid quite freely"
Good odds 'gainst the master's mare!
When he'd gone abroad in the summer
He had given us orders to train
"The Lady" for this 'ere race, sir;
We'd never heard from him again.
And, seeing the "bookies" a-layin',
I thought they knew more than I:
But _now_ I thought with a chuckle,
Let each look out for his eye.
The morning before the race, sir,
The owner turned up. With a smile
I showed 'im the mare--"There she is, sir,
Goin' jist in 'er same old style.
We'll win in a common canter,
'Painted Lady' and I, Sir Hugh,
As we've always done afore, sir;
As we always mean to do."

He looked at me just for a moment,
A shade of care seemed to pass
All over his handsome features.
Then he kicked at a tuft o' grass,
In a sort of a pet, then stammered,
As he lifted his eyes from his shoes,
"I'm sorry, my lad--very sorry,
But to-morrow the mare must _lose_."
He turned on his heel. I stood stroking
My "Lady's" soft shining skin,
Then I muttered, "I'm sorry, sir, very,
But to-morrow the mare must _wi