My First Steeple-chaser, 93. 



yards of the winning flags. It was now Tom's turn, and rouslno- 

 up old Dot-and-Go-One with three overhand cuts that might have 

 been heard all over the meadow, he closed in with the mare and 

 won on the post by a short length. "A magnificent finish!" 

 shouted the bystanders, but there were a few in the crowd who saw 

 but little in the finish except a splendid waiting race on Tom's part,, 

 who, they felt confident, could have won by twenty lengths if he 

 had pleased ; and directly I heard the old uncle's remark, as he 

 shook his hand upon winning, " You did that monstrous well, my 

 lad," and saw the nephew's quiet smile, I was of the same opinion- 

 myself. 



Every -one cheers a winning jockey, and of course Tom came in. 

 for his share ; in fact, he was a pretty general favourite with all, 

 and many who had no pecuniary interest in the race were really 

 glad that he had won. The old uncle was in a state of great ex- 

 citement, and it was a treat to see him as he rode by Tom's side 

 back to scale in a barn, belonging to one of the stewards, gracefully 

 bowing right and left, in acknowledgment of the cheers, which he 

 understood quite as much for himself as for the old horse and its 

 plucky rider. As for Tom, he bore his honours very meekly^ the 

 expression of his countenance rarely displayed the workings of his. 

 mind 3 but I observed him suddenly change colour as he approached 

 a little pony-carriage, standing close to the gate leading out of the 

 winning-field. My eye involuntarily followed his, and, on looking 

 m that direction, I saw a respectable but very surly old gentleman, 

 sitting in that little carriage, who stared at our party, but without 

 taking the least notice of any one of us, and by his side a dark-eyed,, 

 dark-haired girl, apparently his daughter. The girl was pale as- 

 death, but her black eye flashed fire as it caught Tom's, and a deep 

 red flush mantled over her cheek and forehead as she slightly waved a 

 white handkerchief which she held carelessly in her hand. No one 

 observed this dumb show save Tom, myself, and, of course, the 

 lynx-eyed old uncle, whose eagle glance nothing escaped ; and as we 

 rode together up to the scales he confided to me that this girl, the 

 daughter of one of the richest farmers in the county, mi^ht have 



