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TOUTING THAT WAS THE REAL THING. Thormaiibv, or London Sportsman, tells this tale: "I was at Doncaster," he said, "before the St. Loger in 1S38, and outside the livery stable in which I baited my horse I saw a man leaning against a doorway. He had an unmistakably horsey look about him, and was, as 1 suspected, a race course loiterer. Just out of idle curiosity 1 spoke to him. Well, whos going to win the Loger? I asked. Without a moments hesitation he answered as gliblv as if he were announcing a fact that could not be disputed: "Don John, and Ian will be second. But how about Cobhani? the first favorite I asked. Cobham, he answered in the same matter of fact manner, as though there could be no possible doubt on the subject: Cob-ham will break down at the end of the white rails opposite the Intake Farm. What makes you state that so positively? I inquired. For these very good reasons, he replied. Cobham is bad in his forelegs; Ik; has not had a real rattling gallop for many a day. Besides, he is as fat as a bullock. Now, with his bad forelegs, his weight of flesh, and Sst. 71b. that was before the Sst. 101b. days on his back, depend upon it, hell never reach 1 home. And what makes you think that Don John is so certain to win? Because I have watched him closely, and I know theres never a horse in Doncaster can go with him. You may put that down as gospel truth. "I was struck with the calm assurance with which the man spoke, and I went and backed Don John for as much money as I could put on. My prophet was right. Don John did win. and Cob-hnni, sure enough did break down, though it was not at the end of the white rails, but nearer home. I won 700 pounds, and determined to give my prophet a handsome honorarium for his excellent tip. But I could find him nowhere. He had mysteriously disappeared, and 1 did not set eyes upon him again for many months. When I did see him it was in the last place in the. world I should have expected to encounter him. "I was crossing the Waterloo bridge on tlie Friday or Saturday I forget tin; exact date before the Derby of 1S30. when I ran right up against him. I recognized him at once, and told him who I was. adding that. I had to thank him for pocketing tlie 700 pounds over the Leger. As he had urgent business on hand, and I was in the like position, 1 asked him to come with me to a quiet tavern and have some dinner. He consented. When we arrived at the tavern and were seated I told him of my intention to remunerate him for his tip, and begged him to accept a twenty-pound note. This he absoluely refused for some time to do. and it was only by insisting on it that I forced him at last to take the money. "lie told me his story while we were discussing a bottle of wine after dinner, and a very melancholy story it was. 1 wont, however, trouble you with it now. I will only say that he was a man of good family and had been educated at Cambridge, but through his own misconduct had come to grief. We passed on to the Derby prospects. He had carefully watched the movements of every horse, and he assured me that Bloomslmry must, win, giving excellent reasons for his belief. Well, as you know, B.oomshury did win, and I pulled off a very good thing, indeed. Xor did 1 forgot, you may be sure, my faithful and trusty tout. Once more, and only once, I was tempted to ask his advice and back his selection. That was at the Doncaster meeting of the same year. He gave me Charles XII. with the same positive assurance as lie fore. When the first two horses passed the judges box the general impression was that Euclid had won, and those who were in a position to see, declared that it was so. I made up inv mind that 1 had tempted Fortune once too often and that at. last she had jilted me. But to my surprise and gratification I found that the judge had given it as a dead heat between Euclid and Charles XII. I shall not. easily forget the intense excitement with which 1 watched the running off of that dead heat. It was a near thing, but Charles XII. just did it. and once more 1 landed a large stake so large that I could afford to give my tout a douceur of 100 pounds. "After those three coups 1 decided that it would be rash to tempt Fortune any more. With the money which I won on those three selections I went" into business and how I prospered some of this company know well. I never saw my tout after Charles XII. s Leger. though I was several times both at Doncaster and Epsoin afterward; and perhaps had I met him I should have boon tempted to back his selection once more. Nor did 1 ever hear of him again though he had my address and might have written to me had he pleased. But 1 have never forgotten and never shall forget, that I owe my present comfortable position to a touts tip."
