56 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



the present once more, and young Tom comes in, not 

 a little confident about Gouverneur. It is not generally 

 known that ten days before the Two Thousand this colt 

 had no fewer than five teeth taken out, and one can well 

 believe that were he the best in the world he would 

 not have shown his true form in such circumstances. 

 Perhaps the best thing to do is to spend an hour on 

 Sunday morning on the Long Hill and again see 

 Gouverneur and the others gallop. 



UP THE LONG HILL 



Here we are once more in company with Mr Dawson. 

 Others with us are Arthur Briggs, Rickaby (who will 

 ride Peter Flower to-morrow), George Dawson (who 

 for the time being is thinking more of farming operations 

 than Derby favourites), and here comes Watts on his 

 grey hack, ready to ride The Deemster in his morning 

 spin. "Watch that mare Dorcas this morning," says 

 Mr Dawson, " George Chaloner will be riding her " 

 and, as he speaks, we see Melody striding along up the 

 hill, with Dorcas in close attendance. Certainly Dorcas 

 reaches out and lays herself down to her work in grand 

 style, and as we note the black spot on her quarter as 

 she flashes past us we wonder how many of the field 

 to-morrow will be close enough to her at the finish to 

 see that spot. Mons Meg next goes by, followed by 

 Corstorphine, who is a lazy mover, not very taking in 

 her action, but she must be judged by her deeds, and 

 these we know to have been great. Mimi does her 

 gallop alone, and very well indeed does she look, though 

 she goes higher in front than you usually see in the 

 case of a really good one. It is easy to notice that 

 Mr Dawson rather inclines to her than to Corstorphine as 



