THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 221 



had about him. Amid the clamorous cries of " The field a 

 pony, a pony on the fee-aid!" "Here, six to one bar one, 

 six to one bar one, six to one bar-r-r one ! " " Eights Dorothy, 

 ten to one the Roman ! " ( Binkie's horse, and so called on 

 account of the animal's classic proboscis) "Even money 

 Sheldrake," to be quickly succeeded by an offer of " I'll take 

 odds ! " the advance flag was suddenly dropped, the bell 

 clanged out, and the whole multitude assembled seemed, at 

 one and the same moment, to shout, " They're off! " 



With a whirr and rush that makes the head swim for a 

 moment, thirteen of the horses jump off in a confused cluster, 

 crossing and jostling each other in an excitement to which 

 most of them are quite unused. But whether horses are 

 racing for the first time, or have grown old and cunning at 

 the game, it seems to make little difference. They all appear 

 to know of the struggle that is in store for them — almost of 

 the dangers they will have to confront. 



Perhaps, of this particular field of horses. Jack Dash wood 

 was on the best, and Eonald Dennison on the worst behaved — 

 to the former assertion we certainly make exception in favour 

 of Mr. Travers Binkie's staid old Roman-nosed one, who got 

 off well behind all the rest — to which position his owner's 

 method of riding to hounds had, by this time, well accustomed 

 him — and even then he discreetly forbore to hurry himself. 

 Marmion had been dancing on his toes when the flag fell, and 

 in the next moment would assuredly have whipped round and 

 turned his tail where his head ought to be. Luckily, however, 

 the signal was given just at the right time for him, and away 

 he went like a shot out of a gun. 



It was Ronald's purpose to let the horse go along in 



