The Life of a Great Sportsman 



" Aye, that they was and no mistake ! " 



Against driving in the big barouche I had definitely 

 "struck." Barred from riding in the race, I was determined 

 to be as locomotive as possible, and had borrowed Maunsell's 

 pony in place of my own, on which he had the mount. 



My grandmother had the smaller dinner bell, which she 

 was deputed to ring when they were "off," in the approved 

 race-course fashion. We had pleaded for the larger bell to be 

 unshipped from its coign of vantage over the Side door, as it 

 would, we thought, be louder and more effective. But on this 

 piece of vandalism the authority at the Home Office at once 

 put a veto. 



Soon after our carriage had taken up its position at the 

 winning post (which was also the starting post), the com- 

 petitors in their bright colours were seen coming along in the 

 approved leisurely fashion down the road which led into the 

 starting field. 



Then came the preliminary canter. How my heart beat 

 when I saw Maunsell and my dear chestnut pony ! What a 

 gallant little figure he looked, and it was only natural that in 

 my heart of hearts I wished him to be the winner. Although 

 so long as the Richardson colours were to the front, whichever 

 brother wore them, I felt it ought to be the same to me. And, 

 then, wild joy and excitement, for at the ringing of the dinner 

 bell, the competitors assembled in a line, four abreast, at the 

 starting post, and at the word " off" from Uncle William 

 Marris, who was the starter, the whole four made a splendid 

 start. The quartette took the first hedge in fine style, Maun- 

 sell, to my excited imagination, carrying off the palm in every 

 particular. After the first fence, the course turned to the left, 

 over another hedge and ditch into a fair-sized field ; then 

 round a flag, and to the right again, over two more fields, 



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