“I can mind my own business, and you had best mind yours. Thank you all the same, Mr. Gosper!”
Then Huey retired to a corner and sulked, while Bertha smiled on his rival and other customers with her uniform blandness.
If Soft Sam had been at his side he would have urged Huey to start a desperate flirtation with either Ruby or Florrie, and to have ignored Bertha for the time as one dead. But Huey had no cunning in maiden wiles and maiden fence, and was hit, palpably hit, at the first parade. But as days passed the cloud blew over, blew over so far that later on Huey himself drove Bertha down to Botany.
And so, in the mutual rivalry, honours were easy.
CHAPTER XIII
THE HAWKESBURY HANDICAP
The races at Clarendon caused quite a flutter of excitement in the adjacent town of Windsor. As many as three men and a dog might be seen all at one time in its main street, for some of the visitors stop over-night in the town.
Old Sam and the two young men were of this number, and as after the day’s sport was over time hung heavily on their hands, it was natural they should sally out in quest of amusement—Alec and Huey to see old chums and gather a harvest of outspoken admiration for their talent and pluck, and Old Sam to cruise about in what appeared an aimless manner from hotel to store, to shoeing forge, and to wherever men congregated and he could hear and listen.
Some words casually spoken by a blacksmith appeared to interest him, for he sought out a bill referred to on a neighbouring hoarding, and having read it carefully, at once crossed over to a livery stable and ordered a trap to drive him to Dr. Glenlivet’s place. They were not long going to the house, which had auctioneer’s bills on the outside walls, and Old Sam briskly entered, and found many others at various parts of the house and grounds inspecting the place.
The caretaker inquired if there was anything in particular he wished to see, but the old gentleman shook his head.
“Just come to have a look round.”