90 HOUSE-RACING PREVIOUS TO VANS. 



pace so good, that, glancing repeatedly over his 

 shoulder, he soon satisfied himself that, long before 

 the winning-post was reached, he would succeed in 

 galloping his adversary to a standstill. As the 

 two horses drew near to the judge's chair Buckle 

 kept close to the heels of the other horse, so that 

 Shepherd could not see him without turning right 

 round in the saddle to look. At this critical 

 moment the north-countryman became aware that 

 he had not yet done with his pertinacious op- 

 ponent, who gave every indication of intending to 

 come up on Shepherd's whip-hand. When they 

 were about a hundred yards from the chair, Shep- 

 herd's eye was anxiously fixed upon the winning- 

 post. Observing Shepherd's preoccupation, Buckle 

 pulled his horse to the near side, and before Shep- 

 herd had withdrawn his eyes from the judge's box, 

 Buckle had stolen a march upon his enemy, and 

 was leading a couple of lengths on the near side. 

 Loud cries of " Look at Buckle ! look at Buckle ! " 

 arose from the onlookers, who were waiting on 

 horseback at the cords. When it was too late 

 Shepherd perceived his danger, but Buckle had got 

 the first run, and although there was a good effort 

 left in Shepherd's horse, who had been most judi- 

 ciously ridden, the race was over, and Buckle had 

 won by half a length. Such shouting and cheer- 

 ing as arose upon the Heath had, according to my 

 father, never been heard before that day. As the 

 two rivals rode back to scale, Buckle curtly re- 



