236 1fcin00 of tbe 1Rofc, IRifle, an& (Bun 



deal of interest, sportsmen coming from all parts of the 

 kingdom to witness it Lord Kennedy went to enormous 

 expense in purchasing horses for the match. At last he 

 fixed on Tom Smith's famous horse Radical, for which 

 he paid 400 guineas a splendid animal, but rather 

 difficult to ride. Captain Ross, who was exceedingly 

 popular, had no need to buy a horse, for no less than 

 300 hunters were placed at his disposal by his numerous 

 hunting friends. After a good many trials, Mr. Francis 

 Holyoake's celebrated horse Clinker was selected. The 

 night before the race Lord Kennedy wrote to Captain 

 Ross, stating that he wished very much to see him and 

 come to an understanding about a very important point 

 connected with next day's race. They met accordingly, 

 and his lordship said that as such an enormous sum was 

 pending on the match, both between themselves and 

 others, he thought it advisable that they should start 

 with as few openings for a wrangle as possible ; that in 

 a flat race crossing or jostling was not allowed, but that 

 on the morrow he thought it best that the riders should 

 do just as they pleased. "In short," said Captain Ross 

 " I understand we may ride over each other, and kill one 

 another if we can. Is it so?" "Just so," replied his 

 lordship. What followed I will let the Captain describe 

 in his own words : 



"Oddly enough, the first jump was a five-barred 

 gate. I lay with Clinker's head just opposite Douglas's 

 knee. When within forty or fifty yards of the gate 

 I saw clearly that Radical meant to refuse it ; so, 

 recollecting my last night's bargain, I held Clinker 

 well in hand. Radical, as I expected, when close 



