an't do much," I answered; "I'm gated and you have got to row."

"I've got a day off to-morrow; the stroke of my boat has to go to town
and bow's ill."

"Why not have a day's hunting?" I asked.

"There is a little race-meeting down below Reading; you pulled me into
that Browning thing and it is only fair for you to come to this."

"But I shan't be back in time."

"It's only about twenty miles beyond Reading, and there's no footer
match, because I've looked to see. Let's get Bunny Langham and have a
rest, it will do us all no end of good. Bunny is going in for
politics--his father was President of the Union, and he has got to be,
if he can. I should think that there are more Presidents of things in
Oxford than any other place in the world, unless it's Cambridge; but
Bunny will stick some of his own poetry into his speeches, and the men
at the Union don't like it. You can tell him that if ever he expects
to be President he must stop that game, he takes no notice of what I
say about poetry. You'll come?"

We looked up trains and found out that we could be back by half-past
six, so I said that I would go, and Jack went off to see Bunny Langham.
As far as racing was concerned the Horndeane meeting was not very
interesting, for there was not a close finish in any race which I saw,
but if any one has a fancy for picking up very inexpensive horses I
should advise them never to miss Horndeane.

I was strolling about with Bunny and Jack after one race, and saw the
winner of it brought out for sale. It fetched a hundred and sixty
guineas, and Jack said it was "dirt cheap." Then another horse was put
up, and I was surprised to hear some one bid ten guineas. Such an
offer seemed to me ridiculous for a race-horse, so without thinking,
and just to help things on a bit, I said "eleven," and strolled on with
Jack; but before we had gone far some one was asking my name, and
another man was asking me what I wished him to do with the horse. So
many questions bothered me, and I tried to explain that I had made a
mistake when I had said "eleven," but it seemed as if such mistakes did
not count for much.

"The horse is yours," one man said.

"And he's got the temper of a fiend," the other man added, "and I
should like you to find some one to take him at once."

I was quite prepared to give him away if I could find any one foolish
enough to have him, but Bunny wouldn't hear of it, and declared we
would take him back to Oxf