CAPTAIN WARNER 125 



noticeable feature to me was galloping top speed 

 across ridge and furrow without being able to see 

 which was the up and the down — it gave you an 

 extraordinary feeling. The most talented racing 

 scribe would have been hard put to it to paint the 

 happenings of either horses or riders, and I can only 

 tell what befell me in the race, as the white gowns 

 of my fellow-competitors was all that could be seen 

 from start to finish. 



Being as always very poor, with a limited stud, 

 I did not feel that I was at liberty to risk laming a 

 horse ; but Mr. Gordon Wilson very generously came 

 to the rescue and lent me one. This was an old 

 chaser with a "leg" ; but I can vouch for the fact 

 that he was sound enough that night, though I was 

 sorry to hear afterwards it was his last gallop. 

 Having the organ of locality strongly developed, 

 and knowing the country well, with, in addition, a 

 fast horse under me, my chances of winning were 

 pretty good. Mr. Edward Baldock acted as master 

 of the ceremonies, clerk of the course, starter and 

 judge. His first duty was to marshal the com- 

 petitors, and give them instructions as to the lights 

 they had to go round, with other details. The 

 order then was that we were to finish in a gateway, 

 the posts of which were to be the winning posts ; but 

 someone pointed out the danger in a close finish, 

 and the order was amended. In the inky darkness 

 it was very difficult to see every one, and unfor- 

 tunately for me I never received the amended in- 

 structions. All with one accord vowed, ere we 

 plunged into the darkness, that we would go at a 

 very steady pace, but at the word " go ! " such 

 good resolutions were forgotten, and we dashed off 



