s, she was in the
arena with a bronco, and she just looked up to me as sweetly as a
child, and said, "Ferdy, your horse is going to fall next time," and
fall, sure enough, he did, and laid me on my bed for more than a month.
After that I rode the bicycle match against the Frenchman, Devereux,
and there she was, dressed like a picture amongst the crowd, and
smiling like an angel in the Spanish churches. When I nodded to her
she called me back a moment, and just put in her pretty word.

"Ferdy," she said, "that Frenchman can't ride straight; he's going to
run into you, Ferdy." Will you believe it, we cannoned together at the
last corner, and I was thrown so badly that although he walked his
machine in I couldn't beat him."

He was serious enough about it all, and I must say that his talk put
some queer ideas into my head. I've never been a believer over-much in
luck myself, holding that we make it or mar it for ourselves, and that
what some call misfortune is nothing more or less than misdoing; but
here was a tale to make a man think, and think I did while he ate his
breakfast and went on to speak of his car almost as lovingly as a man
speaks of the new girl he met for the first time yesterday. Just as we
were leaving the hotel and he was getting back to his doleful manner a
bit, I put in my word and I could see that he took it well enough.

"All said and done," said I, "there's a little matter of three thousand
miles between you and the lady just at present. Whatever may have
happened over yonder is hardly likely to happen in La Belle France,
look at it how you like. You should think no more about it, Ferdinand.
You're to win this great race, and win it you certainly will if I'm a
judge. Why, then, think about a woman at all?"

"Because," he replied, and he was as grave as a judge at the moment,
"because I must; I've been thinking of her ever since I picked you up.
It's queer, Britten, but I do believe you're going to bring me luck,
and that's as true as Gospel."

"And true it shall be," said I, "if good wishes can do it, my boy.
Let's go and get the cars. My box of tricks will be melted down if I
leave it in the sun any longer. Let's get back to Paris and have some
fun; I'm sure that's what you're wanting."

He did not object; and the storm having passed, and my coil behaving
itself properly now that the damp was off the contacts, we jogged along
the road to Paris in company with many who were returning f