Electronic book host

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* * * * *
"A couple o' hundred" was wanted
To pull good old Joshua right;
I was only a lad; but I'd "fifty"--
My money went that night,
Every penny on "Painted Lady"
For the "Stakes" in the coming week.
I should 'ave backed her afore, sir;
But waited for master to speak
As to what he intended a-doing,
I thought 'twas a "plant"--d'ye see?
With a bit o' "rope" in the question,
So I'd let "Painted Lady" be.
I knew she _could_ win in a canter,
As long as there wasn't no "fake."
And now--well, I meant that she _should_ win,
For poor old Josh Grinley's sake.
* * * * *
The three-year old "Painted Lady"
Had never been beat in her life;
And I'd always 'ad the mount, sir;
But rumours now 'gan to get rife
That something was wrong with the "filly".
The "bookies" thought everything "square"--
For them--so they "laid quite freely"
Good odds 'gainst the master's mare!
When he'd gone abroad in the summer
He had given us orders to train
"The Lady" for this 'ere race, sir;
We'd never heard from him again.


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