28 TALES OF THE TURF AND THE CHASE. 



Mr. Powlett stood to win 40,000/., and his groom and jockey 

 10,000/. between them. Never had such sensational betting been 

 known upon the Turf before, and the race was consequently looked 

 forward to with intense excitement. 



We left the competitors parading. They were twenty-three 

 in number ; and when the starter's ' Go !' was heard they got off 

 well together. Jackson, who always made a good start, got to the 

 front at once. The pace was a cracker ; but still Theodore kept 

 the lead. Jackson's surprise was great. But we shall let him 

 describe his feelings in his own words. ' When we got to the 

 first cross-roads,' lie said afterwards, in the account he gave of the 

 race, ' I lost all my ill-temper and mortification ; I turned my 

 head for a moment ; a crowd of horses (twenty-two) were thun- 

 dering close at my heels ; the sight was terrific ; the speed tre- 

 mendous. Theodore pulled hard ; but I held him tight. " Now, 

 my little fellow," said I to myself, " keep up this pace to the top 

 of the hill and I don't care a straw for the whole lot." I felt as 

 strong as a giant ; I thought my arms were made of iron ; and 

 the blood rushed merrily through my veins, while my heart 

 thumped at my ribs. Away we went at a rattling pace ; I was 

 first over the hill, and was never headed in any part of the 

 race.' 



When the top of the hill was reached Jackson turned to look 

 for Swap ; he was in the middle of the ruck, and looked as if his 

 bolt were shot already. 'You're done,' said Jackson to himself; 

 ' I sha'n't be troubled with you.' Coming down the hill he 

 began to ease Theodore a bit, but kept a sharp look-out for ' the 

 harlequins and the magpies' — Mr. Watt's harlequin jacket on 

 the Mandayne filly, Marion, and Mr. Gascoigne's white and 

 black sleeves on the Comus filly, Violet. It wafe the last-named 

 that Jackson dreaded most, for he thought she had more strength 

 and last in her than Theodore. And now came the tug of war. 

 Just as the T.Y.C. was passed Marion challenged Theodore, and 

 got as far as his girths. Then Mr. Gascoigne's pair challenged 

 right and left, passing Jackson's boots, and almost reaching 

 Theodore's neck. Then Marion challenged again. Then Mr. 

 Gascoigne's pair again. But Jackson's skill, judgment, and 

 nerve were equal to the occasion. Challenge after challenge 

 was stalled off. Theodore got terribly excited, and wanted to 

 rush ahead ; but Jackson wisely reserved his powers, and never 

 let him get too far in advance of his most formidable opponents. 

 And here again we cannot do better than quote his own graphic 



