Punch (72.1877)

4

PUNCH, OK THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [January 13, 1877.

WHAT'S THE ODDS?

OR, THE DUMB JOCKEY OF JEDDINGTON.

A GENUINE SPORTING- NOVEL BY

MAJOR JAWLEY SHARP,
Author of " Squeezing Langford," " Two Kicks," $c, §c.

Chapter VIII.—" The Treble Event."

At his wit's end, Lawyer
Ferret hit upon a plan to
retrieve the fortunes of the
day.

He must lose three
Derbys in succession, must
he not ? " asked the astute
Lawyer of the Honble Pull-
man.

"Yes, so says the Will,"
was the answer. "And if
he doesn't, the property is
mine."

" Is ours," the Lawyer rejoined, with grim humour
Lady Di, seated in the barouche, laid her nervous hand on a diamond-hilted poniard
she wore at her girdle.

Mrs. Azamyle, who had just returned to herself, trembled. She did not like

poniards.

Lawyer Ferret had arranged it in two seconds with the Bookmakers and Owners.
The Bell rang for the next Derby.

There ivere no starters, except Moka and the Invisible Prince.

"Now," exclaimed the HonbIe Pullman", "he's done. With one or the other, he
must walk over the course, and win. Ha! ha ! "

But Mr. Stringhalt raised his hat, and begged the'HonbIe Gentleman's pardon. He
(Mr. Stringhalt) had just purchased the Invisible, and had backed him heavily.

As he had said, the Invisible won. Moka nowhere.

"Hooray!" cried Sir Thomas, while Lawyer Ferret and the Honble Pullman
absolutely danced with rage and disappointment.

A storm was brewing. The Bookmakers, over two hundred of them, utterly ruined
by following Lawyer Ferret and the Honble Pullman's advice, began to eye the pair
threateningly.

There was yet another race.

" Moha must win—shall win this time," screamed Lawyer Ferret, as with the
Honble_ Pullman, who was now dressed as a Jockey, he furiously approached Cavasson,
intending to tear him from his horse, and throw him down the hill, when Pullman
would get up, and win on Moka.

But it would have been easier to have torn a Precentor from his stall than to drag
the Dumb Jockey from off Moha'a back.

"Base villains!" screamed the two hundred ruined Bookmakers, who were no
uninterested spectators of the exciting scene.

"Base!" echoed Lawyer Ferret, in a deep voice. "Base! We must be iase
for the treble event."

But they were not to be mollified with a witticism, and already they were taking off
their coats, and turning up their sleeves.
Yet there was one chance !—just one !

If the Honble Pullman Carr could but substitute himself for the Dumb Jeckey!
Then, once mounted on Moka, he would force the obstinate animal to gallop for dear
hie, and, by winning the third Derby with one of the Jeddington Dodd Lot, the two pre-
vious races would go for nothing.

Lawyer Ferret, the Honble Pullman, and Cavasson the Dumb Jockey, were
engaged m'a deadly struggle. The two former, animated by despair, put forth all their
strength. A loud shout went up from the Bookmakers.

Cavasson could resist no longer. The sur-
cingle was loosened, the girths gave way, and
he tumbled to the ground—an inert mass.

In a second the Honble Pullman was on
Moka's back.

One flash of the whip! one flourish of his
spurs in the air! and—he was off.

Off, but not thrown. Moka's heels were
light and quick, but the Honble Pullman's
seat was as sure as if he 'd been elected
without a dissentient voice.

Moka would not stir.

Ladi Di and Mrs. Azamyle screamed, and
waved their handkerchiefs in their frenzied
excitement.

Gussy, in her brougham, leant back fainting.
Was she about to lose her lover and her hap-
piness for ever ? Oh, if Moka would only be
firm ! if she would but lie down and refuse to
move ! One of the others might win the Derby,
and Moka be last after all.

Lawyer Ferret suddenly reappeared,
bearing a long pole with bright, gleaming,
attractive vegetables, such as Moka loved,
fixed at one end.

This he gave to the Honble Pullman.

In an instant he saw his plan. A gleam of
hope shone on the pallid countenances of the
Bookmakers.

The Honble Pullman rested the pole between
Moka's ears, so that the tempting bait of
carrots and green vegetables hung within a
few inches of the animal's clear-scenting nose.
Highly trained as Moka was, yet she was not
gifted with such common sense as might have
told her that no amount of galloping would
bring her one fraction nearer the coveted
prize.

Yet—off she started—full gallop.

A ringing cheer went up from the Book-
makers, who now ran along by the course,
laying the odds, right and left, on what was,
evidently, a certainty.

What were the odds ?

Why, two thousand to one on Moka ! ! !

And where was Sir Thomas Dodd '?

In the middle of her career, Sir Thomas,
standing on the top of Gussy's brougham, was
offering three thousand to one on Invisible
Prince, and taking all the odds he could get
against Moka.-

The Bookmakers, relying upon Lawyer
Ferret and the Honble Pullman Carr, took
him in every direction at once. They backed
Moka for millions. They were determined
to skin the lamb that day, and the lamb was
Sir Thomas Dodd. "Done! Done! Done!"

But Invisible Prince, who has been no-
where at first, is now creeping up alongside.
And who has been put up to ride ?

Is it possible ? Yes! There is no doubt
about it! There are the black, purple, green,
red, and orange stripes!

It is Cavasson, the Dumb Jockey of Jed-
dington.

Tottenham Corner is passed. Moka first,
Invisible Prince second ; the rest nowhere.

Suddenly, irom the crowd, the report of a
pistol is heard. Moka, thoroughly trained,
knows the signal. She drops, as though shot.
There she lies, quietly eating the carrots and
the greens, with the Honble Pullman wedged
in, under her. No effort of her Honble rider
could extricate himself, or get her to move.
There he lay—a prisoner. Lawyer Ferret
tore his hair, and cursed, but he was borne
onward by the rush of two hundred Book-
makers.

It was William Button who had fired the
pistol. He had had a long experience in the
Comic business of a Circus, and this was one
of the tricks he had taught Moka.

'' Hoorah ! Hoorah ! Hoopla tchk ! "

Cheers from the Grand Stand. Cheers
from the honest public. Groans and execra-
tions from the two hundred Bookmakers.