AND OTHEE SKETCHES 159 



The next day in the steeplechase an effort was made to 

 get even, and with an expenditure of sixty dollars the 

 chance was bought to win eight hundred. But the brute's 

 temper was up,. and before he ran a quarter of a mile he 

 commenced to show it, and coming to the water jump he 

 sulked so badly that it was all Brown could do to keep 

 him straight. When he got him to the jump he never 

 raised a foot to the bank that faced it, but went head over 

 heels, throwing Brown an ugly cropper into the fence 

 corner. The race itself was a chapter of mistakes and 

 accidents. Blackbird and two others went half a mile 

 further than necessary. N. P., then well on the lead, 

 through Blackbird's mistake, staked himself when run- 

 ning out from the field on to the track, and old Abbots- 

 ford, whose chances were appraised in the pool-box at 

 $1 in $30, came along, and making no mistakes, landed on 

 the track about three lengths behind N. P., who, though 

 badly injured, and bleeding profusely, was making a gal- 

 lant effort to finish the last quarter. Never was a 

 pluckier effort made by an injured horse, but the loss of 

 blood told the usual tale, and half a dozen lengths from 

 home Abbotsford got on even terms and beat him out for 

 first honors. The winner's owner. Dr. Coleman, of Ot- 

 tawa, was so surprised that in his confusion of mind he 

 ordered half a dozen of *'fiz" and forget to drink any of 

 it himself. The Doc. had a chance that day to harvest 

 a great crop from a very trifle of seed. 



