BILLY'S AMBITION 159 



minutes later a thoroughly transformed and mani- 

 festly workmanlike pair — thorough-bred horse and 

 finished horseman — cantered down to the assembled 

 group of aspirants to fame, where the roll-call 

 was in progress, and as the starter called it, 

 a husky voice answered to the name of Tom 

 Telfer. 



Acting on Batters' advice to set the pace, I allowed 

 the " Pearl " to sail away, which she did pretty near 

 the head of affairs for two miles or so, and without 

 misadventure, to the turning flag. About this time 

 I saw a chestnut horse putting on the steam, and 

 with a mighty spring out and a twist of his quarters 

 fly a mean-looking hedge, and I realised that the 

 big ditch was behind it. The '* Pearl " went boldly at 

 it, but did not jump out quite enough, and landed in 

 it, but without coming down, though she remained 

 there for some time before scrambling out, dwelling 

 long enough for me to see three or four others have it. 

 Billy was one who got over without mishap, then 

 two got in and went down, before the ^* Pearl " started 

 again. There was now a mile and a half or so 

 of good grass country, with stiff but fair fences, 

 during which we heard crashing behind us and saw 

 two loose horses going off in different directions. 

 Two diverging Hues were now available, one slightly 

 longer, taken to avoid some heavy ploughed land, 

 between us and the end of the course. As the 

 *^ Pearl " drew up to her stable companion, the latter's 

 rider hissed, ^' By gad, old man, I believe we are 

 alone. Jack Elliot's and Bobby St. Clair's horses 

 are both off on a line of their own. Dick Waldie 

 is out of it." 



