MILITARY STEEPLECHASING 61 



was conscious of what he had to do, whilst his rider's 

 countenance was as calm and unmoved as if he was 

 only taking a constitutional canter. We rode side 

 by side, taking our jumps together, with our knees 

 within a yard of each other, and for a mile there was 

 hardly any perceptible difference in our horses' stride. 

 Although the ground was rather broken, the pace 

 was tremendous, and I knew could not long last. I 

 therefore held in, and allowed the favourite to forge 

 a little ahead ; and although I felt my horse was full 

 of running, I determined to nurse him. My antici- 

 pations were correct, for in a few strides T perceived 

 the jemedar's horse was pumped, and the second 

 favourite's heaving flanks and convulsive twitchings 

 of the tail showed me his bolt was shot. 



'The race now lay between the favourite and 

 Moonlight, and so nearly were we matched that the 

 slightest mistake on the part of either horse would 

 have given the other the race. I had the advantage 

 of a stone in weight, but that was counterbalanced 

 by the superior riding of my adversary, who was the 

 very beau ideal of a gentleman-rider. All at once I 

 noticed that the captain held his horse more in hand, 

 and allowed me to take the lead at the water-jump, 

 behind which there was only one more fence of any 

 consequence, and then a straight run-in past the 

 stand. Could I but win ! I felt almost wild with 

 excitement, and giving my horse the spur for the 

 first time during the race, I crammed him at the 



