he Ambler for "a place," in
accordance with his custom.

'Made a fool of myself,' he thought; 'ought never to have gone into
the ring at all; ought to have let Barney's work it quietly. It doesn't
matter!'

He still required to win three hundred pounds to settle on the Monday,
and laid a final bet of seven hundred to three hundred and fifty pounds
upon his horse. Thus, without spending a penny, simply by making a few
promises, he had solved the equation with X.

On leaving the ring, he entered the bar and drank some whisky. He then
went to the paddock. The starting-bell for the second race had rung;
there was hardly anyone there, but in a far corner the Ambler was being
led up and down by a boy.

George glanced round to see that no acquaintances were near, and joined
in this promenade. The Ambler turned his black, wild eye, crescented
with white, threw up his head, and gazed far into the distance.

'If one could only make him understand!' thought George.

When his horse left the paddock for the starting-post George went back
to the stand. At the bar he drank some more whisky, and heard someone
say:

"I had to lay six to four. I want to find Pendyce; they say he's backed
it heavily."

George put down his glass, and instead of going to his usual place,
mounted slowly to the top of the stand.

'I don't want them buzzing round me,' he thought.

At the top of the stand--that national monument, visible for twenty
miles around--he knew himself to be safe. Only "the many" came here, and
amongst the many he thrust himself till at the very top he could rest
his glasses on a rail and watch the colours. Besides his own peacock
blue there was a straw, a blue with white stripes, a red with white
stars.

They say that through the minds of drowning men troop ghosts of past
experience. It was not so with George; his soul was fastened on that
little daub of peacock blue. Below the glasses his lips were colourless
from hard compression; he moistened them continually. The four little
Coloured daubs stole into line, the flag fell.

"They're off!" That roar, like the cry of a monster, sounded all around.
George steadied his glasses on the rail. Blue with white stripes was
leading, the Ambler lying last. Thus they came round the further bend.
And Providence, as though determined that someone should benefit by his
absorption, sent a hand sliding under George's elbows, to remove the pin
from his tie and slide away. Round Tattenh