MATHEW DAWSON 51 



cannot but notice the peculiar action of Mons Meg as 

 they approach. It is impossible to describe, except 

 that she gives the idea that her legs are going round 

 like wheels. Be that as it may, she can unmistakably 

 gallop, and is by far the best " Waler" ever imported 

 into this country ; a magnificent mare, too, in appear- 

 ance. Dorcas, on the far side, strides out with great 

 freedom and superabundance of vigour, and receives 

 high praise from Mr Jennings. Both he and her 

 veteran trainer agree that of the three mares, taking 

 them as we have just seen them, they would choose 

 Dorcas, and Mr Jennings further opines that she will 

 run infinitely better with a man on her back. Mimi 

 and Corstorphine both galloped past us in rare form, 

 and which of them will win the Oaks, or whether Dorcas 

 will land a double event, time only can determine. 

 Suffice it that they are all very fit and well, and that 

 no more genuine candidate than Dorcas will be stripped 

 for the Derby. 



AN EVENING AT MATHEW DAWSON's 



After a close inspection of Dorcas and her stable 

 companions at home, where Arthur Briggs so care- 

 fully controls the establishment on behalf of his uncle, 

 I spent an evening at Exning with Mr Dawson himself. 

 Amid trophies of the past, such as hoofs of Thormanby 

 and Thunder, tails of Chanticleer, Thormanby and 

 Julius, a piece of the skin of Eclipse, Boehm's original 

 model of St Simon, and portraits of Dutch Oven, 

 Wheel of Fortune, Silvio, Melton, Minting, Lambkin, 

 etc., etc., we naturally had any amount of subjects for 

 conversation. I was glad to find my host in such ex- 

 cellent form, cheery as ever he was in his life, and, to 



