The Case of Janissary | Page 2

nobody. The sole
tangible result of this behaviour was a violent quarrel between Mr.
Warren Telfer and his nephew Richard, who had been making a
lengthened stay with his uncle. Young Telfer, to tell the truth, was
neither so discreet nor so exemplary in behaviour as he might have
been, but his temper was that characteristic of the family, and when he
conceived that his uncle had an idea that he was communicating stable
secrets to friends outside, there was an animated row, and the nephew
betook himself and his luggage somewhere else. Young Telfer always
insisted, however, that his uncle was not a bad fellow on the whole,
though he had habits of thought and conduct that made him altogether
intolerable at times. But the uncle had no good word for his graceless
nephew; and indeed Richard Telfer betted more than he could afford,
and was not so particular in his choice of sporting acquaintances as a
gentleman should have been.
Mr. Warren Telfer's house, Blackhall, and his stables were little more
than two miles from Redbury, in Hampshire; and after the quarrel Mr
Richard Telfer was not seen near the place for many months -- not,
indeed, till excitement was high over the forthcoming race for the
Redbury Stakes, for which there was an entry from the stable --
Janissary, for long ranked second favourite; and then the owner's
nephew did not enter the premises, and, in fact, made his visit as secret
as possible.
I have said that Janissary was long ranked second favourite for the
Redbury Stakes, but a little more than a week before the race he

became first favourite, owing to a training mishap to the horse fancied
first, which made its chances so poor that it might have been scratched
at any moment. And so far was Janissary above the class of the field
(though it was a two-year-old race, and there might be a surprise) that it
at once went to far shorter odds than the previous favourite, which,
indeed, had it run fit and well, would have found Janissary no easy colt
to beat.
Mr. Telfer's nephew was seen near the stables but two or three days
before the race, and that day the owner despatched a telegram to the
firm of Dorrington & Hicks. In response to the telegram, Dorrington
caught the first available train for Redbury, and was with Mr Warren
Telfer in his library by five in the afternoon.
"It is about my horse Janissary that I want to consult you, Mr.
Dorrington," said Mr. Telfer. "It's right enough now -- or at least was
right at exercise this morning -- but I feel certain that there's some
diabolical plot on hand somewhere to interfere with the horse before
the Redbury Stakes day, and I'm sorry to have to say that I suspect my
own nephew to be mixed up in it in some way. In the first place I may
tell you that there is no doubt whatever that the colt, if let alone, and
bar accident, can win in a canter. He could have won even if Herald,
the late favourite, had kept well, for I can tell you that Janissary is a far
greater horse than anybody is aware of outside my establishment -- or
at any rate; than anybody ought to be aware of, if the stable secrets are
properly kept. His pedigree is nothing very great, and he never showed
his quality till quite lately, in private trials. Of course it has leaked out
somehow that the colt is exceptionally good -- I don't believe I can trust
a soul in the place. How should the price have gone up to five to four
unless somebody had been telling what he's paid not to tell? But that
isn't all, as I have said. I've a conviction that something's on foot --
somebody wants to interfere with the horse. Of course we get a tout
about now and again, but the downs are pretty big, and we generally
manage to dodge them if we want to. On the last three or four mornings,
however, whenever Janissary might be taking his gallop, there was a
big, hulking fellow, with a red beard and spectacles -- not so much
watching the horse as trying to get hold of the lad. I am always up at

five, for I've found to my cost -- you remember about Matfelon -- that
if a man doesn't want to be ramped he must never take his eye off
things. Well, I have scarcely seen the lad ease the colt once on the last
three or four mornings without that red-bearded fellow bobbing up
from a knoll, or a clump of bushes, or something, close by -- especially
if Janissary was a bit