42 STEEPLECHASING 



Prospero at Aylesbury for Tilbury, but he was such a 

 confirmed roarer that people would scarcely believe that 

 he would run fourth to Vivian, as he did in the same 

 year in which they all swam the river. We next find 

 Jem Mason winning at Hatfield on Captain Fairlie's 

 Spicey, and not long afterwards on Wing (who received 

 his name from the Buckinghamshire villaoe where a 

 deer was taken after an extraordinary run with Mr. De 

 Burgh's stag-hounds), over a course from Finchley to 

 Barnet, Jem riding his horse past the winning-post with- 

 out any bit, it having dropped out of the horse's mouth 

 during the race. 



At Dartford, soon afterwards, Mr. Bryan put up 

 Jem Mason on The Flyer, to make up the number of 

 starters to secure the added money being given. He 

 told Jem to make the running for his own mount. Red 

 Deer, with which he declared to win, and it so happened 

 that the finish was left to the pair. In spite of the 

 declaration to win — so at least the story runs — Jem 

 rode his best on the second string, and after a punish- 

 ing finish beat Mr. Bryan and Red Deer. Mr. Bryan 

 had backed Red Deer for a good deal of money, and, 

 after the race, did his best to disqualify The F"lyer, 

 but to no purpose. Some very nasty things were 

 said, and for the moment Jem Mason was not over 

 popular. 



Just about this time "Old Til," as Tilbury was 

 called, gave a large sum of money for a good-looking 

 horse, but which it subsequently appeared impossible to 

 convert into a hunter, and one day he gave Jem Mason 

 eight falls in the course of a single schooling lesson. 

 His rider, however, stuck to him, and one day when 

 out with the stagr-hounds sent him at a brand new eate. 

 He went through rather than over it, for scarcely a bar 

 remained intact, and, of course, tumbled neck and heels 

 into the next field. His rider came safely enough out 



