"Well, it's a livin'," he said, "but it's no great shakes. They don't give
steeplechase-riders a chance in Sydney. There's very few races,
and the big sweepstakes keep horses out of the game."

"Do you get a fair share of the riding?" I asked.

"Oh, yes; I get as much as anybody. But there's a lot of 'em got a notion
I won't take hold of a horse when I'm told (i.e., pull him
to prevent him winning). Some of these days I'll take hold of a horse
when they don't expect it."

I smiled as I thought there was probably a sorry day in store
for some backer when the jockey "took hold" unexpectedly.

"Do you have to pull horses, then, to get employment?"

"Oh, well, it's this way," he said, rather apologetically, "if an owner
is badly treated by the handicapper, and is just giving his horse a run
to get weight off, then it's right enough to catch hold a bit.
But when a horse is favourite and the public are backing him
it isn't right to take hold of him then. _I_ would not do it."
This was his whole code of morals -- not to pull a favourite;
and he felt himself very superior to the scoundrel who would pull
favourites or outsiders indiscriminately.

"What do you get for riding?" I asked him.

"Well," he said, looking about uneasily, "we're supposed to get
a fiver for a losing mount and ten pounds if we win, but a lot
of the steeplechase-owners are what I call `battlers' --