The Oracle does put on "two quid", and doesn't get it all back.
Neither does he see any more of this race than he did of the last one --
in fact, he cheers wildly when the wrong horse is coming in.
But when the public begin to hoot he hoots as loudly as anybody --
louder if anything; and all the way home in the tram he lays down the law
about stiff running, and wants to know what the stipendiaries are doing.

If you go into any barber's shop, you can hear him at it, and he flourishes
in suburban railway carriages; but he has a tremendous local reputation,
having picked first and second in the handicap, and it would be a bold man
who would venture to question the Oracle's knowledge of racing
and of all matters relating to it.




The Cast-iron Canvasser



The firm of Sloper and Dodge, publishers and printers,
was in great distress. These two enterprising individuals had worked up
an enormous business in time-payment books, which they sold
all over Australia by means of canvassers. They had put
all the money they had into the business; and now, just when everything
was in thorough working order, the public had revolted against them.

Their canvassers were molested by the country folk in divers
strange bush ways. One was made drunk, and then a two-horse harrow
was run over him; another was decoyed into the ranges on pretence