ViVANDIERE. 55 



Plate. His annoyance was quickly changed into dis- 

 may, when it suddenly flashed on him that this was the 

 identical race for which he had backed — a most unusual 

 occurrence with him — in the lotteries over night, a certain 

 horse which he considered had an excellent chance of 

 winning if his gentleman rider would only sit still ; and 

 here he was come to do battle against his own selec- 

 tion. The flag fell, and the field streamed away together. 

 As they rounded the turn for home, Captain Dudley 

 began to appreciate the situation in all its horror. The 

 stewards of the meeting, for some mysterious purpose 

 of their own, had had about five yards of the course 

 next the rails ploughed up, on which heavy ground the 

 two favourites were now racing against each other, 

 whilst he was sailing along comfortably on the hard 

 ground outside. He " felt " the leaders with Vivandiere, 

 and then knew but too well that he had only to sit 

 down and ride her home to beat the others, including 

 his own selection. True to his principles of right and 

 sportsmanlike feeling, he gradually brought the game 

 mare level with her opponents, and then, just at the 

 proper moment, he came with a rush and won by half a 

 length ; thereby losing fourteen hundred rupees, as his 

 own " fancy " was second. The moral of this is that a 



