152 RACING. 



favourite's jockey is riding in grim earnest, and the outsider, 

 regardless of a whipping and a spurring which would stop 

 most horses, is coming up hand over hand, racing from sheer 

 love of the game. Fifty yards from home they are level, and 

 for the next few strides no one can say which has the best of it ; 

 then somehow the lean ugly head and lop- ears get in front and 

 remain there ; and Mr. Clark's verdict is, ' The Ugly Duckling 

 by half a neck cleverly.' 



All's well that ends well, and people are not found wanting 

 who say the boy rode splendidly. May Heaven forgive them ! 

 The fielders are not quite so jubilant as I should have expected 

 them to be ; but I find on subsequent inquiry that very few of 

 them have missed the winner. The man of the Downs does 

 not seem to have missed his opportunity. My pallid friend 

 comes up to me ; he has rather more colour in his cheeks now, 

 but is trembling a little as he thanks me for my good advice. 

 What does he mean ? he can hardly have had time to elaborate, 

 still less to practise, any very extensive or trustworthy scheme of 

 reform. Nevertheless I feel flattered, and muttering to myself 

 something about a word in season, I march triumphantly to the 

 Birdcage to have one more look at the Duckling. 



Ay, there he is, blown certainly how could he be other- 

 wise after such unassisted exertion ? Nor is he any longer 

 ignorant of what the spur means, for his jockey has let him 

 have it in the most impartial manner, and with sufficient length 

 of limb would probably have stabbed him in the eye ; but the 

 horse's countenance still bears the same calm, satisfied, and 

 now I think amused expression ; indeed, as he is led away, I 

 almost fancy I see him wink at his tall owner, who has been 

 watching the re-clothing with an air of affectionate interest. 

 To the man of the Downs comes one, apparently on terms of 

 intimacy, who says 



' My dear fellow, how could you risk such a chance by 



putting up that misguided youth ? D d if he didn't get his 



whip up half a mile from home.' 



'What could I do?' replies the other; ' the best jockeys 



