Hoof Beats 



for such a God-forsaken place like that 'ot and 

 'eathenish land. The ladies looked pretty, too, 

 and the orfficers giv' the scene a bit o' dash and 

 smartness in their white uniforms and their silken 

 racing colors. It seemed like a bit o' old Hen- 

 gland, sir, everybody 'avin' turned out to see the 

 sport, and the Tommies in the rival regiments 

 began passing scurrilous remarks good-humoredly 

 to each other the minute they reached the field. 

 The capt'in 'adn't told 'ardly a soul which 'orse 

 'e meant to race and 'e 'ad that right under the 

 agreement they made. But, somehow, it 'ad 

 leaked out, or some pryin' chap 'ad seen me school- 

 in' the Bishop o' a four a clock in the mornin'. 

 Now, the major was no yearling, and 'e 'ad some 

 good 'orses, too, though in course 'e wasn't the 

 mechanic on a 'orse that the capt'in was, as could 

 be seen by the prices quoted. When the word 

 gets out in the paddock that the capt'in intends to 

 beat the major with a mule, you should 'a' seen 

 the people runnin' to 'edge a bit, in order to save 

 their pay. 



*'But most 'o the crowd didn't know a thing 

 about it, and just sat impatiently waitin' to see 

 the major ride out on 'is chestnut mare, the best 

 'un 'e 'ad, and to see if the capt'in would race the 

 Lady Godiva or the Viceroy. The bugle sounds 

 and everybody leans forward watching the pad- 



m 



