A Race with the Doctor. 15 



followed the doctor as well as I could, although I did 

 not try to get close to him, but rather kept a little 

 back, knowing that there was only one place with 

 room enough to pass between where we were and 

 the house. When we reached the top of the incline, 

 it was very steep down the other side of the hill, 

 and at the foot we had to cross a ford, and here the 

 road widened considerably on both sides of the burn. 

 It was here that I had a strong desire to pass the 

 doctor and show him what the beast could do that 

 he called a cuddy. So down we went at full speed, 

 and we both plunged into the water of the burn at 

 the same time, but I was the first to gain the road 

 on the other side. We had then only about two or 

 three hundred yards of a gentle incline uphill to 

 the house, where the master was at the garden wall 

 watching us coming. By the time we reached the 

 house I was two or three lengths in front, to the 

 chagrin of the doctor and the pleasant surprise of my 

 master. The colt was taken more notice of and more 

 cared for after that, although he still fed on the hill 

 and remained in my charge." 



It was the custom at that time among the farmers, 

 when a marriage took place, for those who had the 

 best horses to run a race that was called the Broose. 

 The name was perhaps derived from the circumstance 

 that the winner in old times was rewarded with brose 

 or broth. In preparation for the race, those who were 

 to ride stood ready mounted outside the bride's house 

 or the minister's manse, as the case might be, and 

 the forthcoming of the newly married couple was the 

 signal for starting. Whoever first reached the young 



