GOING TO THE POST. 



FEW prettier sights are to be seen than a fiekl of horses tiling tinietly oti' on their way to 

 the post. And few more exciting moments are experienced than those which so closely 

 precede the start for a great race. IIow eagerly is the competitors' look, bearing, and 

 condition scanned. IIow soon is it remarked if one is frctfiil, or another sweats. And 

 how dilferent the behaviom- of the horses themselves. The dark brown, cool and collected, 

 walks quietly away, unmindful of the throng which crowd and mob him, his eyes bright 

 and cars moving backwards and forwards, his head nodding as he gives to the bit, 

 and his tail swinging gaily from side to side in unison Avith his long and jaunty stride. 

 Ilis whole look and bearing bespeak confidence, and his backers having scanned him 

 over, straightway retm-n well pleased to the enclosure, feeling sure it will take something 

 more than a false start or two to upset him, and he will take but little out of himself ere 

 the actual contest begins. 



Not so the chestnut that follows in a iiery fi"et, every vein on his skin standing out 

 like network, his eyes Hashing aud nostrils quivering with excitement, as he snorts 

 defiance to his foes. In vain does the jockey pat and caress him ; all his tact can scarcely 

 keep him fi'om sending his rider over his head, as though shot from a cataj^iilt by a 

 sudden back jump, aud it is only the trainer's hold on the snaffle that restrains him from 

 breaking away. As it is, he bores his head between his kuees, sidles and plunges, and 

 you may depend upon it he will give both trainer and jockey all they can do to get him 

 safe to the post, to say nothing of getting well away from it. No matter how many 

 i'alse starts, he is sm-e to be in front each time, and gi'cat will be his luck if he 

 does not run the course half through a time or two ere the actual race commences. 

 Next him, again, is a regular slug — one that with di-ooping ears and careless gait all but 

 falls ou his nose at every other step, and by way of waking him up his jockey takes him 

 by the head as soon as he leaves the saddliug paddock, aud shakes him up into 

 a brisk gallop, administering very probably a couple of sidebiuders by way of refreshing 

 his memory, and letting him know that whatever he may do with the lad at exercise, he 

 is now expected to exert himself by way of a change. Xo danger fi-om him if the crowd 

 do close round; but here is one that will make room — the "wicked-lookiug bay mare that 

 lashes out at every other sti'ide, and appears to consider her fore legs amjjly sufficient for 

 the purposes of progression. To get her settled down she is started in the wake of the 

 slug ; but kicking is more to her taste than galloping, and ere thi'ee strides are covered 

 her head is down, and having delivered her heels well in the ail- she whips short round, 

 and is retm-ning to the paddock ere the jockey can recover his seat. Theu commences a 

 set-to between them, she with her head bored in the air resisting for a time all his eftbrts 

 to tm-n her, and when he has done so, steadily refusing to proceed. Then comes an 

 attendant, who, running a few yards by her side, again sets her going, but with no better 

 success than before, and before the Stand is reached the same manoeuvre is again tried ; 

 but the jockey is prepared for her now, and instead of going nearly over her head, gives 

 her a regular stinger behind the girths, for his patience is well-nigh exhausted. This 

 rouses her ladyship and makes matters still worse, and a succession of gymnastics, much 

 more edifying to the yokels, who enjoy the fun immensely, than to owner, trainer, or 

 backers, is the result ; and at last she is led away, still kickmg, to join the others who are 

 preparing to canter. At length they are all together and the course tolerably clear ; 

 Martin Starling's white handkerchief is waved aloft, and with a clatter like a charge of 



