DERBY DAY 1 79 



respective owners, and in gay contrast to the background 

 of green turf. The excited competitors are at last brought 

 into hne. Down drops the flag ! 



'They are off!' bursts Uke one cry from tens of thousands 

 of throats. There they go, scudding along the top of the 

 hill ! descending to the Corner ! past Tattenham. Now 

 they are in the straight ! The supreme effort is seen in 

 the half-mile run ; the best horse flies past firsts a dis- 

 appointed, no longer hopeful, second follows, and a 

 disgusted third, and another Derby has been won ! Oh ! 

 the cheers that rend the air ! Is the like of it ever heard 

 elsewhere? a tremendous, far-reaching, ecstatic wave of 

 sound, which rises to Heaven, and seems to shake the 

 very earth ! 



Some have won, and some have lost, but everybody is 

 merry and thirsty, and takes a drink — whether it be Bass, 

 or brandy-and-soda, or champagne. 



With the masses, it is still all fun and frolic as they 

 turn homewards through the dust and disappointing delays, 

 talking of the winner, and glorifying him, with a kindly 

 regret for the others who didn't win, but might some day ! 



They have had their hours of intense interest and 

 excitement ever since one o'clock, but it is now four, 

 and the Derby for this year has been run ! 



