Ci)e dFanmr'ig Cup. 



Now the said John Jenkins would not see his 

 sixtieth birthday again, and was, moreover, a com- 

 paratively new resident in Clayshire, having until 

 recently occupied a larger grazing farm in the Mid- 

 lands from almost his boyhood, where he had gained 

 in former years a reputation with the " Scentoview 

 Hounds" second to none. 



But times had been bad, and grey hairs had 

 taken the place of black, so, upon his retirement to 

 Clayshire, it is hardly to be wondered that scarcely 

 a shadow of his former fame as a horseman had 

 followed him. But he brought the old mare with 

 him, notwithstanding (she whom he had ridden for 

 nine seasons), if not the reputation which both had 

 so deservedly earned in the earlier of them, for 

 showing the way through many a brilliant run. 



Time slipped away — as it has an unpleasant way 

 of doing now-a-days — and when the day of the 

 Hunt Steeplechases arrived, the names of only three 

 runners appeared upon the c'rect cards for The 

 Farmer's Cup, — the white feather, in the shape of 

 half forfeit, having been displayed by as many more. 



Thus might folks have read : 



Mr. Hicks' b. g., "Shooting Star," by "Starlight,"— 

 "Moonshine," 5 years. Pink, blue cap (Mr. 

 Leatherem). 



Mr. Makesafe's ch. g., "Express," by ''Irish Mail," — 



