CHASING AND RACING 65 



the trusty Yeoman, relying on his undoubted prowess 

 as a lepper to do me honour, despite his woeful lack of 

 speed. Certainly he jumped the far from formidable 

 obstacles brilliantly, but he was outpaced at the finish 

 by a gee, ridden by his owner, an enthusiastic supporter 

 of my harriers, of the name of Ackerman. This one 

 had not figured prominently in the betting, since all and 

 sundry had been obsessed with the false impression that 

 the steed was a mare heavy in foal ; whereas it turned 

 out to be a gelding with a " Little Mary '* distended by 

 a too liberal diet of grass. The rest of the field either 

 fell down, ran out, jumped their riders off, or pulled 

 up suddenly in order, I suppose, to reserve their 

 energies for a more fitting occasion, or to browse on 

 the rather profuse herbage. 



" Gratty '* Blagrave was supposed to have a red-hot 

 rod in pickle for the great event of the card, but for 

 some reason or other the good thing came unstuck. Oh 

 yes, taken all in all it was a merry and genial day's 

 leather flapping. 



Ted's report anent the leviathan trout was in no 

 way exaggerated. I watched the ponderous fish as 

 they disported themselves on the " redds " and longed 

 for the day, when well ** mended," they should reseek 

 the lakelets and condescend to take notice of my artful 

 lures. 



A favourable day in March prompted me to make 

 an early attack ; but I fished the whole stretch of the 

 waters without response until, on my return, something 



