92 My First Steeple-chaser. 



rider. The young farmer who steered her was evidently riding to 

 orders, and those orders clearly were to let Tom lead, and keep 

 close behind him. No matter whatever fence he went at, the 

 chestnut took it exactly in the same place ; and if he tried a bit of a 

 spurt, it was all the same, she stuck as close to him as his shadow. 

 As soon as he rounded the flag, the horses began to change places. 

 Two of the leaders fell back, while Tom gradually crept to the 

 front, followed closely by the mysterious chestnut ; and when we 

 saw them again, within three fields of the great fence, Tom was 

 leading, the chestnut and four others well up, but nothing else in 

 the race. In the field leading down to this fence the favourite and 

 one of the Findon horses drew up to the two leaders, and the four 

 came down to the hedge together. The rider of the chestnut now 

 changed his tactics, and, instead of following Tom over, charged 

 the fence in a line with him. Probably he was afraid of Tom 

 coming down right before him ; in fact, it was a very awkward 

 place either to lead or to follow over, and one which had much 

 better be taken alone. The Findon horse got down to it first, but 

 swerved at the crowd in the lane, and had to be turned and put at 

 it again before he cleared it. Tom and the chestnut went over 

 beautifully side by side ; the favourite fell a burster. The Findon 

 horse could not be got over till the leaders were nearly down to the 

 brook, and only two of the other horses came on to the fence, one 

 of whom fell, the other scrambled over. The race was now left 

 to Tom and the chestnut : they cleared the brook so near together 

 that their knees almost touched on landing. Tom took a pull at 

 his horse, and the chestnut passed him and went on with the 

 running. This was bad policy, and just what Tom wanted. 

 Whether the young farmer thought he had the screw safe, or 

 whether he now fancied that he could win as he liked, and wished 

 his friends at the winning flags to see by how far he could win, 

 there is no telling j but he pressed his mare on over the fence into 

 the straight run-in, and then set to work with her ; Tom all the 

 while lying close to him, but so straight behind him that the jockey 

 on the chestnut could not see him till they were within a hundred 



