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BOB HAMILTON'S MAIDEN EACE. 



They were talking at the Club the other night about the 

 now defunct Stonebridge Meeting — the name of some bygone 

 'chasing hero having called it to mind — when suddenly the 

 Major chimed in with — 



" Do you know, you fellows, that I rode and won my only 

 steeplechase over that course ? " 



"You, Major ?" was the general chorus. "We didn't 

 know that you had ever donned silk for an exhibition between 

 the flags." 



The Major chuckled, and beamed at us through his pince- 

 nez. He was one of the worst riders in the Army, and 

 though he had plenty of pluck, generally made a terrible 

 hash of it, both on his charger and in the hunting field. As 

 to the possibility of Major " Bob " Hamilton ever being suc- 

 cessful in getting over a steeplechase course, and particularly 

 such an one as the Old Stonebridge used to be, why, we never 

 dreamt of such a thing. 



" Tell us all about it, Major," said young Dudley Hardinge. 



" Very well," he gaily responded, "just ring the bell and 

 tell the waiter to bring me a whisky and soda, and then I'll 

 begin." 



His wants being supplied, and having settled himself com- 

 fortably in his lounge chair, he commenced as follows : — 



" It was just sixteen years ago that this momentous event 

 took place, and I can assure you that it created no little stir 

 at the time. My race was without doubt the most popular 

 one of the fixture, and the ovation I received when I returned 

 to weigh in would have turned most brains. Yours would 



