The Case of Janissary | Page 5

room. There was nothing
unusual to attract his attention, and he turned to two bags lying near the
dressing-table. One was the usual bookmaker's satchel, and the other
was a leather travelling-bag; both were locked. Dorrington unbuckled
the straps of the large bag and produced a slender picklock of steel wire,
with a sliding joint, which, with a little skilful "humouring", turned the
lock in the course of a minute or two. One glance inside was enough.
There on the top lay a large false beard of strong red, and upon the
shirts below was a pair of spectacles. But Dorrington went farther, and
felt carefully below the linen till his hand met a small, flat, mahogany
box. This he withdrew and opened. Within, on a velvet lining, lay a
small silver instrument resembling a syringe. He shut and replaced the
box, and, having rearranged the contents of the bag, shut, locked and
strapped it, and blew out his light. He had found what he came to look
for. In another minute Mr. Bob Naylor's door was locked behind him,
and Dorrington took his picklocks to his own room.
It was a noisy evening in the Commercial Room at the "Crown". Chaff
and laughter flew thick, and Richard Telfer threatened Naylor with a
terrible settling day. More was drunk than thirst strictly justified, and
everybody grew friendly with everybody else. Dorrington, sober and
keenly alert, affected the reverse, and exhibited especial and extreme
affection for Mr. Bob Naylor. His advances were unsuccessful at first,
but Dorrington's manner and the 'Crown" whisky overcame the
bookmaker's reserve, and at about eleven o'clock the two left the house
arm in arm for a cooling stroll in the High Street. Dorrington blabbed
and chattered with great success, and soon began about Janissary.

"So you've pretty well done all you want with Janissary, eh? Book full?
Ah! nothing like keeping a book even all round -- it's the safest way --
'specially with such a colt as Janissary about. Eh, my boy?" He nudged
Naylor genially. "Ah! no doubt it's a good colt, but old Telfer has rum
notions about preparation, hasn't he?"
"I dunno," replied Naylor. "How do you mean?"
"Why, what does he have the horse led up and down behind the stable
for, half an hour every afternoon?"
"Didn't know he did."
"Ah! but he does. I came across it only this afternoon. I was coming
over the downs, and just as I got round behind Telfer's stables there I
saw a fine bay colt, with a white stocking on the off hind leg, well
covered up in a suit of clothes, being led up and down by a lad, like a
sentry -- up and down, up and down -- about twenty yards each way,
and nobody else about. 'Hullo!' says I to the lad, 'hullo! what horse is
this?' 'Janissary,' says the boy -- pretty free for a stable-lad. 'Ah!' says I.
'And what are you walking him like that for?' 'Dunno,' says the boy,
'but it's gov'nor's orders. Every afternoon, at two to the minute, I have
to bring him out here and walk him like this for half an hour exactly,
neither more or less, and then he goes in and has a handful of malt. But
I dunno why.' 'Well,' says I, 'I never heard of that being done before.
But he's a fine colt,' and I put my hand under the cloth and felt him --
hard as nails and smooth as silk."
"And the boy let you touch him?"
"Yes; he struck me as a bit easy for a stable-boy. But it's an odd trick,
isn't it, that of the half-hour's walk and the handful of malt? Never hear
of anybody else doing it, did you?"
"No, I never did."
They talked and strolled for another quarter of an hour and then
finished up with one more drink.

IV.
The next was the day before the race, and in the morning Dorrington,
making a circuit, came to Mr. Warren Telfer's from the farther side. As
soon as they were assured of privacy: "Have you seen the man with the
red beard this morning?" asked Dorrington.
"No; I looked out pretty sharply, too."
"That's right. If you like to fall in with my suggestions, however, you
shall see him at about two o'clock, and take a handsome rise out of
him."
"Very well," Mr. Telfer replied. "What's your suggestion?"
"I'll tell you. In the first place, what's the value of that other horse that
looks so like Janissary?"
"Hamid is his name. He's worth -- well, what he will fetch. I'll sell him
for fifty and be glad of the chance."
"Very good. Then you'll no doubt be glad to risk his health temporarily
to make sure of