216 The Best Fourteen-Uander in England. 



wrangle. The Nottingham roughs mustered strong, and proved 

 themselves able proficients in the vulgar tongue ; but I will do Mr. 

 Cox the justice to say that neither himself nor his party required 

 any tutors ; and the first match of the day seemed to create most 

 amusement among the rough lot which were collected on that little 

 racecourse and a rougher lot I think I never saw. There was a 

 grand stand, a sort of temporary weather-boarded erection, from 

 which the whole race could be seen ; but I borrowed a pony of the 

 trainer that I might watch the start and finish, for the course was 

 in the shape of a horse-shoe. There were lots of waggons for the 

 country- people -, the course was in beautiful order, and exceedingly 

 well kept. 



At one the bell rang for saddling, and at a quarter past the clerk 

 of the course got the lot to the post. Bessy Bedlam's colours were 

 all black. She seemed to become a great favourite with the crowd, 

 on account of the original appearance of both herself and jockey. 

 As she walked up to the post, I felt sure there was more in her 

 than met the eye and more than one good judge held the same 

 opinion. 



The jockey of Bessy Bedlam managed to get the mare close in 

 to the cords on the near side, for he was anxious to see as much of 

 the horses as he could with his good eye, and he was just as anxious 

 that the mare should not. There he patiently sat till the starter 

 had got them all well in a line, and directly the word to " go" was 

 given, he suddenly seized hold of the mare's off ear, dug both spurs 

 into her sides, and jumped away with the lead as if the race was to 

 be only a furlong. As soon as he had set her well going, he let go 

 of her ear, got his reins together, settled himself in his saddle, and 

 went striding away as if he meant to cut the whole field down 

 before he got to the distance. The secret of the mare was this : 

 She was dangerous in a crowd, and, moreover, would never make 

 an effort if she got shut in by her horses ; but if she could jump 

 away from them at first, she took a good deal of catching ; and 

 although she seemed to have but one pace, that was a strong one, 

 and one which, as the trainer observed, she would " keep on at for 

 a day." This accounted for his saying that there was but one lad 



