158 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



rather a tali, short horse; but although he was 

 slightly leggy, he could hardly be said to want length. 

 In height he was a trifle above fifteen-three, rather 

 light-limbed, and with lightish back-ribs, from which 

 his opponents especially drew their " short-coursed " 

 inferences. His great beauty lay in his fore-hand ; 

 and he had deep oblique shoulders, and one of the 

 most expressive and blood-like of heads. Lord Dar- 

 lington had well-nigh proved his evil genius, as the 

 horse caught a violent cold from a long inspection 

 which he made of him when he passed through New- 

 market, to see his darling Derby hope, Wat Tyler, 

 on his road from the North, during a very cold 

 March. Priam's throat swelled so much, that he 

 refused his corn, and at one time it seemed doubtful 

 whether he could come to the post for his Craven. 

 Meeting engagements, for which his owners had 

 backed him very heavily. In the Biddlesworth race, 

 Will Chifney stationed himself half- way up the D.M., 

 and the horse was running so unkindly when he went 

 past him, that he sung out to Buckle some extem- 

 pore directions. " Frank " got a 50 douceur for 

 his win, as the Chifney s were always exceedingly 

 liberal on these occasions, and was thus apostrophized 

 by Will, when they met in the weighing-house, 

 ' ' Why, Frank, what the devil was you about for the 

 first half-mile you rode him so contrary to your 

 usual good style ?" Buckle jokingly answered that 

 Will was quite right, but that the horse had been so 

 awkward at starting, that he could not get him set- 

 tled into his stride till they were nearly in the cords. 

 Kean, who had run second to Patron for the Two 

 Thousand Guineas the year before, and Flacrow, who 

 afterwards became a Melton crack, and distinguished 

 himself by winning a great steeple- chase in that dis- 

 trict, gave him his Derby work turn about, along 

 with Wat Tyler, whom Sam was to have ridden at 

 Epsom. When the latter's leg gave way at Mickle- 



