BILLY'S AMBITION i6i 



most for half a minute and then ploughed along for 

 about a whole feering on his head, and dashed nearly 

 rubbed the bridle off — I hadn't time to put it on right 

 again." 



Incredible it may seem that any one should take 

 a fall within a mile of home and be able to land 

 a winner by the length of a street — yet so it was ; 

 and feeling it was no disgrace to be beaten by such 

 a marvellous horseman, I said : *' Congratulations, 

 Tom ; but what a ghost you look. Come up to the 

 waggonette and we'll christen the cup." 



'' All right, thanks ; but I must dodge the doctor, 

 and then leather away home and get into bed before 

 the wife misses me. I passed her on the stair on 

 my way out, and said I was going for an airing, 

 and might not be back for lunch. See you at Kelso 

 on Monday next." 



" But, Tom," said Billy, " how did you come in 

 from Borthwick's ? You must have come fairly 

 straight. I didn't think you'd have had these two 

 hundred-acre ploughs ? " 



" No more I did ; for I got a fine bit of going 

 along the headriggs, which you two blind buffers did 

 not see were not ploughed. When I last saw you. 

 Master, you were sampling the ditch. What ? Here 

 comes the doctor, by gum, I'm off. See you at the 

 'Chases next week, eh ? " 



Billy won the open hunt 'chase the following week, 

 or, as old Batters mercilessly put it, " The auld horse 

 wan the race in spite o' Maister Willyum." As a 

 matter of fact, he was nearly caught napping in the 

 straight, after jumping the last fence with a lead 

 of eight or ten lengths ; and he was so fired by a 



