LORD FALMOUTH 



Swift arrived with his charge, he found himself in a 

 very unpleasant predicament. The stables had been 

 unoccupied for some time and stood sadly in need 

 of repairs, a flourishing crop of grass was growing 

 in the yard, and the whole place had been under- 

 mined by rats. It was quite evident that it was 

 hopeless to attempt to stop there, but boxes were 

 difficult to obtain, and it was late before Swift 

 found a refuge at Mr. " Fog " Rowlands'. After all 

 the excitement of the day, a somewhat disturbed 

 night not unnaturally followed, and Swift had a 

 very vivid dream of the Derby. He distinctly saw 

 the finish, in which Kingcraft won by a length and 

 a half, a dark brown horse that he could not identify 

 was second, and Macgregor broke down. The re- 

 sult of the race made this vision a very remarkable 

 one. It is of little consequence that the length and 

 a half by which Kingcraft won became four lengths 

 in reality ; Palmerston, who was second, was a 

 brown colt, and though IMacgregor, as has been 

 explained in a preceding chapter, did not break 

 down, it was generally believed at the time that he 

 had done so, indeed many people are under that 

 impression to this day. After his unexpected 

 victory at Epsom — 20 to 1 was obtainable about 

 him at the start — Kingcraft was put by for the 

 St. Leger, and, about a fortnight before the decision 

 of that race. Lord Falmouth came to Newmarket 

 to see him tried. This gallop took place over the 

 last mile and three-quarters of the Ditch In, the 

 three that took part in it being Kingcraft, 9 st. 

 1 lb. (T. French), Gertrude, 8 st. 13 lb. (Lightfoot), 

 and Wheatear, 8 st. 13 lb. (Swift). Just before 

 they started INIatthew Dawson said to the last- 

 named, " Jump off smartly and come a good gallop 

 all through," orders that Swift obeyed so well that 

 AYheatear was never approached, and won by six 



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