COURSING 



get up, the Irish dog had raced right into his hare, 

 and flung it half dead into the air. Raper said that 

 he had never seen a greyhound go so fast, and 

 the Cup seemed to be over. Then Woman in Black 

 deHghts the Irish division once more, and Ask 

 Mamma and Charming May ran as sweetly as ever. 

 Except Lady Lyons, there was nothing more beauti- 

 ful than ^^May'^ on the field. Ghillie Galium then 

 gives the Scotchmen a good turn, and fastens on 

 his hare, when he kills so savagely that they are 

 obliged to bite his ear before he will resign it. Two 

 other dogs cannot settle the knotty point, and so they 

 dash away and jump a wide ditch, holding the hare 

 between them. Luncheon succeeds, and the coursers 

 are found in carriages, or on the top of them, on 

 the grass, or sitting on a rail ''transacting business" 

 with hampers and parcels which would have done 

 Epsom no discredit. Even a horse and gig rolHng 

 in a ditch doesn't rouse them. They were a singu- 

 larly quiet and well-behaved crowd, and though the 

 stewards had left them pretty nearly to their own 

 devices, in despair of handling so many, they en- 

 croached but a very few yards. It was a fine, 

 genial day, and each man seemed bent on good- 

 humoured enjoyment, and an oath or coarse word 

 was almost unheard. 



'Luncheon over, and we got into position for the 

 last time that day, and all along the Engine-house 

 Meadows. For some time it was hopeless to begin, 



61 



