WMAT SPORT 



329 



alone am I indebted for any details of the sport of the past 

 week. F'irst intimation of the rainy Monday at Norton Heath, 

 " A solitary horseman riding back throuo-h the gas-lit town at 

 5 p.m." " Hounds had run right to the other side of Chelms- 

 ford." " Second horse not to be found, still out looking for 

 him." Second intimation, the 5.30 p.m. train for London ; 

 seeing a friend off en I'outc for Russia. The General,* deep in 

 despatches, looked up as the carriage door swung open, and his 

 eagle eye brightened up, as in answer to our eager inquiry, 

 "What sport?" "A very good 25 minutes." A glance at the 



Norton Heath 



adjoining carriage ; encore deux chasseurs'.' 'I his may not be 

 correct French, but it expresses my meaning. A tap at the 

 window, and the answer came readily to his lips, " The nicest 

 Gallop of the Year." The train steamed out. and the night 

 looked blacker than ever as we dragged back up the hill and 

 thought of what we had missed ; but bright shone the fire, and 

 merry looked the pink-clad one whom we ne.xt encountered, 

 deep in the enjoyment of well poached eggs and buttered toast ; 

 and if the mud was on his coat, the truth was in his heart, 

 when he said, " Yes, nice gallop ; nothing extraordinary, you 



Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C. 



