1 68 CHASING AND RACING 



have a cut at me at pigeon-shooting ; a pastime {not 

 a sporty mark you !) at which I had had plenty of 

 practice, and no little success. The contest took place 

 at Hurlingham. I think I conceded my young friend 

 a couple of yards, which enabled him to push me very 

 severely ; but I just managed to hold my own. A 

 return encounter produced a similar result. 



My next match was not so successful. I was 

 riding Roscidus — one of the most exasperating horses 

 it has ever been my misfortune to steer — in a long- 

 distance members' race at Lewes. At a mile and a half 

 " Bill " Moore and I were out by ourselves, with the 

 rest of the field in hopeless plight. My opponent's 

 mount was one St. Bede (belonging to Arthur Yates), 

 as slow as a man, but no end of a sticker, when, as now, 

 urged by Bill's flail (and, my word, he knew how to 

 wield it !). Roscidus, who had been running easily on 

 a tight rein, now decided that it was not good enough 

 to further exert himself ; so the soundly belaboured 

 St. Bede went on to win easily if somewhat uncom- 

 fortably. 



Said Moore to me in the dressing-room : " That's 

 a useful horse of yours, Cockie ; but you should 

 keep him to shorter races. It would have been a 

 close thing between him and my joker at a mile and 

 a half." 



** Well, let us have a match at that distance," I 

 suggested with rash impetuosity. 



Bill jumped at the offer with alacrity. 



