136 THE ENGLISH TURF 



breath. " May as well wait a minute ; they'll signal for me 

 by showing a flag." The minute multiplied into ten. " No 

 doubt they've put off hearing the complaint until after the 

 next race," observed the Major, and he and his friend pro- 

 ceeded to cross the Knavesmire to the mile post, where 

 the start for that event took place. After a while the horses 

 began to arrive. " Here comes Snowden," said the Major ; 

 "now we shall hear all about it." Up rode Snowden, 

 apparently with nothing to say, but observing the look of 

 anxious inquiry with which the starter regarded him, a 

 smile, suggesting recognition of the circumstances, passed 

 over his features, and moving his horse close to Major 

 Dixon, he put his hand to his mouth and shouted in a 



hoarse voice, "Ain't he a hot un, governor?" That was 



all. Snowden had made no complaint ; he had taken the 

 incident as part of the day's work, and he seemed to regard 

 the deliberate "cross and jostle" to which Archer had treated 

 him as something to be admired rather than make a fuss 

 about. 



What York may have been in the past hardly concerns 

 us now. In the present it is popular and successful, with 

 a capital programme at its August fixture, and a fair one 

 in the spring, when the meeting generally clashes with Bath. 

 There is no " gate " at York, and, as at Doncaster, the 

 meetings are " run " by the Corporation, who keep the 

 course in wonderfully good order, though the freemen of 

 the city have the right of pasturage. Just now the longest 

 races are run over a course of a mile and six furlongs, and 

 the starting-point for these events is a full half-mile from 

 the stands ; but there is a two-mile course. Dead flat 

 galloping it is all the way, the long course being straight 

 for about seven furlongs, and then on the turn until the 

 run-in is reached, about half a mile from home. There is a 

 new straight six-furlong course which came into use a few 

 years ago, and this is a great improvement upon the old one, 

 with its bad " elbow " so near home. On the old T.Y.C. at 

 York an inside position was of far more value than it ought 

 to have been, and I always noted that a two-year-old who 

 could win on it after being drawn on an outside position 



