62 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



water, which, he cleared at a fly, and then pulled him 

 together, so as to collect his stride before taking the 

 last fence. On looking back I saw the chestnut evi- 

 dently labouring hard, for, having jumped short at the 

 water, the bank had given way beneath his hind-legs, 

 and he was heavily shaken on landing. He scram- 

 bled out, however, very cleverly, and struggled on ; 

 with the expiring effort of a thoroughly game horse, 

 he rose at the last fence, but nature was exhausted, his 

 strength was spent, and he fell on landing ; whilst 

 Moonlight cleared it, and cantered in past the grand 

 stand a winner, amidst deafening shouts and yells of 

 delight from the soldiers who lined the course. The 

 race was closely contested throughout, and at the 

 last was so near a thing that the victor could hardly 

 triumph or his antagonist feel mortified at the result. 

 Had the favourite not met with the accident at the 

 water I might have come off second best. It was, 

 however, a red-letter day in my career, and my heart 

 still glows with delight when I recall to mind my 

 first steeplechase.' l 



1 The Forest and the Field, by the Old Shekarry.' 



