Then came Monday. It was the evening we were to put our money on our horse, our pick, nay, our "dead bird" for the Cup. We three met at the office. Our office boy, rather a wag in his way, had decorated my office table with flowers. My two partners, who seemed to me to have spent the week-end without any sleep, visiting training stables, waiting for the first streaks of dawn to watch the early Sunday and Monday morning gallops, and doing all that is expected of racing touts, were more than convinced of the certainty of their choice. There was nothing in it but "Mata." "Mata" could not be beaten. The race was all over. "Mata," however, was at a short price, and I could see it would require a good deal of money to enable me to get round my share of our losses. Still, what was the use of all our exertions and hard work and financial risks if the two partners specially selected for their intimate knowledge of the true form of the horses were not to be believed? There was nothing for it but to sink or swim together. We duly published the _Tissue_ on the Tuesday morning, the Cup morning. By a quarter past ten you could pick up a copy of the _Tissue_ anywhere in the city. We sent cabs full of them to Flemington and scattered them all over the road and the course. Every one was saying "Mata" would win all right. The Melbourne Cup was run that afternoon, and Mata did _not_ win. As a matter of fact, he was one of the two last horses to finish. Grand Flaneur won--our tip for a place. All was up with the _Turf Tissue_. Nothing was left but for myself and my two partners to try to look happy and pay our responsibilities. I attended the office on the Wednesday, but my partners did not turn up, as I expected. I found out afterwards that they had lost their all, and that, as I had undertaken the financial responsibilities of the venture, it was left to me to have the pleasure of winding up our company's affairs. I had in this respect to stand a great deal of good-natured chaff from my friends and General Scratchley, who thought it was quite a good joke.