" The Cat's ' First Steeplechase 



which brought them to one of the most intricate and important 

 jumps, viz. : the crossing of the Caistor Road, in and out. 



It was to this point that I galloped off after seeing the start, 

 and arrived just in time to see the field, minus one of their 

 number, rapidly approaching. Of the three, two, I was delighted 

 to note, were my brothers; the missing one being George 

 Marris, whom I could discern in the distance, in hot pursuit of his 

 grey mare, which had apparently come to grief at the second 

 fence. My brother Willie was leading on his bay cob, George 

 Nelson on his brown horse close behind, and Maunsell, evidently 

 on the best of terms with his mount, as I anxiously noticed, was 

 lying close on their quarters. 



Willie and George Nelson crossed the road, jumping the 

 fences in splendid style ; but, alas ! a sad fate awaited poor 

 Maunsell. Some spirit of evil must have entered into my pony 

 — at the best of times apt to be a little too free at his fences — 

 for in the midst of his usual little rush at his jump, he stopped 

 dead short as he got up to the first fence, and threw his rider 

 right over his head into the road. But even then, the same 

 agility which afterwards earned for him the sobriquet of " The 

 Cat " stood Maunsell in good stead. 



Turning a complete somersault, he alighted on his feet, 

 facing the hedge with the reins, to which he clung, still in his 

 hands, with a determination to hold on at any cost to his steed. 

 But not all of him left the saddle. One of Uncle Tom's big 

 faithless and unmanageable racing boots remained behind, 

 jammed in the stirrup. We had made these look possible to 

 wear, for we had determined that they were necessary to 

 complete the beauty of the racing kit, and had arranged that 

 by the wearing of several pairs of socks, the feet at least would 

 appear a perfect fit. 



It was the tops that had given us the most thought and 



39 



