Mistakes are so common amongst thieves that one can never tell how the
horse got away; but if I were put on my oath, knowing the proclivities
of the animal, I should say that he was backed out of the field.
We were now, as it seemed, the most deplorable objects in creation:
without friends and without a gig, wet through, shelterless, amidst
a crowd of drunken, loathsome outcasts of society, with only one
solitary comfort between us--a pipe, which Charley enjoyed and I
loathed. Drink is always quarrelsome or affectionate, generally the
one first and the other after. When the tears dry, oaths begin, and we
soon found that the quarrelsome stage of the company had been reached.
Amidst all this excitement we had not forgotten that this little
matter of the prize-fight was but an incident on our journey to
Newmarket. We knew full well that our present appearance would have
found no recognition in the Mall. But we cared nothing for the Mall,
as we were not known by the fashion in the racing world; and as for
the others, we should like to avoid them in any world.
You will wonder in these circumstances what we did. We waited where we
were through the whole of that wet afternoon, and then, on a couple of
hacks--how we obtained them I don't know; I never asked Charley,
and nothing of any importance turns upon them--we arrived at our
comfortable Royston quarters about eight o'clock, tired to death.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67