HERMIT AND ISINGLASS 



upon the vessels. When distance told Chris 

 Fenning that the canter on the Epsom course 

 on the morning before the Derby was "the first 

 work Hermit had done for over a week," he spoke 

 in all good faith, but he had been away in France, 

 and had to trust to others for an account of what 

 had happened in his absence. As a matter of fact, 

 on the previous Saturday Captain Machell had sent 

 him no fewer than six canters of a mile each. He 

 traversed the reverse way of the Rowley Mile in 

 each of these canters, a proceeding which would 

 not be allowed nowadays, but there were com- 

 paratively few horses in training at Newmarket 

 in the " sixties," and trainers were consequently 

 allowed to do pretty much as they pleased. 



Hermit was accompanied to Epsom by a couple 

 of detectives, a precaution that really appeared quite 

 unnecessary, for a more melancholy object never 

 walked round the famous paddock than he looked 

 on that memorable 22nd of May. I have a vivid 

 remembrance of seeing him standing close to the 

 historic hawthorn bushes, wearing a dejected air, 

 and with the snow-flakes falling on to his staring 

 coat. Yet, under the circumstances, his appear- 

 ance was only what might have been expected. 

 It was absolutely necessary to keep him low in 

 condition, which made him look light, and, as he 

 was allowed very little clothing, the spell of 

 phenomenally cold weather for the time of year 

 had put his coat all wrong. Of course his 

 appearance dispelled any lingering hopes of his 

 success that might have been entertained by 

 those who had backed him at short prices and 

 could never get out of their money. Captain 

 Machell alone never wavered, and, when Steel 

 ridiculed the idea of the colt possessing any 

 chance, his unswerving supporter satisfactorily 



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