“You may well call it murder, you vagabond,” exclaimed one of the prisoners. “I know all about the villainous transaction, and lost my fortune by that and other swindles of a similar description.” “Well, don’t fall foul of me, master,” cried the gipsy, who eyed the speaker curiously. “There’s no call to use hard words now, seeing that we are here in limbo together.” “Go on,” said the other prisoner. “I acknowledge that it was not your fault, but those who bribed you. Go on; I will not again interrupt you.” “Well, as I said, out comes the murder,” said the gipsy, in continuation. “Jim followed me when away from the stables like my shadow, till late one evening he got me into a by-lane. “I saw something was a coming from the expression of his countenance, and I was not mistaken. “‘I want to say a few words to you upon business matters,’ said he. “‘All right,’ ses I; ‘fire away. I’m all ears.’ “‘Well,’ he murmured, ‘this is a queer world, and there are a lot of queer people in it. Some on ’em are fools, and some are rogues. If you try to live honestly you are doomed to remain a beggar, or next door to one.’ “‘I found that out a long time ago.’ “‘Did you? Ah, I suppose so. I think we shall be able to understand one another.’ “‘Ah, I dare say we shall――leastways, I hope so. I aint too particular, you know.’ “‘I have brought with me a hundred pounds. You may have it upon one condition.’ “‘And what might that be?’ I inquired. “‘Your colt and filly!’ he replied, with a meaning look. ‘In my pocket are six balls. I want one given to each of them to-night, one to-morrow morning, and one again to-morrow night.’ “‘Oh!’ I ejaculated, for his proposition had almost taken my breath away. ‘That’s it, is it? You want me to poison the poor brutes.’ “‘No, no,’ he quickly answered; ‘not poison――only opium; the animals will be all the better for it――their legs will be saved. They will go down in character for this two thousand stake, but come out another day low in the list, to the surprise of the knowing ones.’ “‘I don’t like the job,’ I exclaimed, ‘that I tell you plainly――I don’t like it at all.’ “‘That may be, but you’ll do it――you must!’ “‘When am I to touch?’ said I. “‘Immediately after the race comes off. Our people are honourable, and just in all their dealings.’” “Oh, oh!” exclaimed half a dozen of the prisoners, simultaneously. “In a manner of speaking,” returned the gipsy. “That’s what Jim wished me to understand. He said he would take their word for thousands. “Well, I took the balls――the colt and filly ran like cows, and I got the coin. “Three times afterwards I did the physicking game while in my employer’s service. I believe he suspected something, and discharged one man after another, till it came to my turn, and I was sent adrift without a character. “‘And serve you right, too,’ said Peace. ‘What else could you expect?’