astonishing pertinacity in spite of opposition. He did not give up
indeed until Flaminetta, a lengthy mare with an astonishing reach,
suddenly exploded without warning and missed his head with a steel-shod
heel by a short foot.

Joses tumbled backward off his stool and crawled out of danger on his
hands and knees with astonishing alacrity for so gross a man.

Monkey Brand, an interested witness of the catastrophe, came limping up
full of the tenderest solicitude.

"Oh, my, Mr. Joses!--my!" he cried. "I never knew her to do that afore.
_Ah, yer! what ye up to?_"

Joses, still on his hands and knees, looked up at the little jockey, his
eyes aghast with anger and fear.

"Ginger!" he snorted. "You put it there."

Monkey Brand eyed him with bland interest.

"You know a wunnerful deal about 'orses for a hartist, Mr. Joses," he
remarked, not troubling to deny the soft impeachment.

Joses got to his feet and began to talk volubly.

Monkey Brand listened in respectful silence, waving to the lads to keep
in the background.

When the orator had finished, the little jockey went in to report to Old