Captain Dabber. 63 



up for the Hunt Cup it was seen that there were only 

 two runners, viz. : — 



1. Lord Daisyfield's bay horse Sir Marmaduke (Owner), crimson and black 

 cap. 



2. Capt. Dabber's brown horse Lablache (Owner), blue, red belt and cap. 



Now, the redoubtable Charlie's steed Lablache was a 

 confirmed roarer, consequently it looked any odds against 

 his getting the severe two miles and a half of the Hunt 

 Cup course ; extravagant odds, therefore, were offered on 

 his lordship's mount ; not that there was much betting, it 

 being one of the good old country meetings, where 

 people came to meet one another more for goodfellowship 

 than to make money. Down the course they went in 

 their canter, his lordship first, old Lablache grunting and 

 wheezing along after him. Now, though Lablache was 

 such a bad roarer he possessed a good turn of speed, and 

 was, besides, better bred than Lord Daisyfield's horse, so 

 accordingly as the pair were on their way to the post old 

 Charlie sidled up to his lordship, and proposed making a 

 waiting race of it, and not to really gallop until the bend 

 for home, by which means they would make perhaps a 

 semblance of a race so as to amuse the country folk. His 

 lordship, eyeing his opponent's Roman-nosed steed with 

 some contempt, agreed to the proposal. ''Most happy, 

 Mister Dabber, I'm sure," replied he with a polite bow, 

 for my lord was always the pink of politeness. 



The next minute they were off. 



'' Whoy, Mas'r's old ploo' mear, Jessie, could go varster 

 nor that theer," remarked a chawbacon, looking on with 

 his mouth open, as the pair went lobbing along about two 

 miles an hour. ''Noo they're a-coomin' along varster," 

 said he as they rounded the bend, and, eh ! what ! why you 



