see if there's
any difference?'

"We got it and did so.

"Lisburne removed the glass, found the racing news and read them through
it. 'Good heavens!' he said, and turned white. 'Here, read this with
your naked eye,' he said, pushing the paper before me.

"I read 'Saturday's racing results: 1.30, Midas 1, Blair Hampton 2,
Chessington 3,' and so on. 'Prices, Midas 6-4,' etc.

"'Those are Saturday's results,' he said, shaking with excitement. 'But
now read them through the watch-glass.'

"I did so, and they immediately changed to Monday's results. I was
reading to-morrow's paper!

"'Look at the prices,' he cried.

"'The prices! I hastily ran through them. They were splendid. "Captain
Farrell 10-1, Woodpark 10-1, Flitting Light 4-1." And these horses,
remember,' he said, 'are going to run this afternoon!'

"'What's the next thing to be done?' I gasped.

"'The bookies,' he replied.

"'I suppose they're fair game,' I said.

"'Of course,' he replied. 'The very fairest. But that's nothing to do
with you, anyhow. You're in possession of magic and must employ it. They
are the natural medium. How much can you muster?'

"'I'd risk anything I could scrape up,' I said. 'Say L750. And you?'

"'Oh, I'm broke,' he replied. 'How many bookies do you know?'

"'Three,' I said.

"'Well,' he replied, 'I know three more, and we can find men who know
others, and who will bet for us. Because we must plant this out warily,
you know, or they'll be suspicious.'

"'Will you take it in hand,' I asked, 'leaving me L150 for my own
commissioners?'

"'Of course,' he said, 'if you'll give me ten per cent.;' and having
copied out all the longer-priced winners through the watch-glass he
hurried off, promising to meet me at lunch.

"How to get through the intervening time was now the question. First I
went to the telegraph office, and then to the barber's to have my hair
cut. Forcibly to be kept in a chair was what I needed. The hair-cut took
only half-an-hour; so I was shaved; then I was shampooed; then I was
massaged; then I was manicured. I should have been pedicured, but the
clock mercifully said lunch-time.

"Lisburne was there in a state of fever. He had distributed the L600
among fourteen different commission agents.

"'Now we can have lunch,' he said, 'with easy minds.'

"Easy!

"'But suppose the whole thing is a fizzle,' I said. 'We've been far too
impetuous. Impulse was always my ruin.'

"'Oh no,' he said.

"'But if