HARK FORRARD! 135 



trainer Wheeler, was another stray tip. Inde- 

 pendent having been imported from America 

 was not thought so much of as he otherwise 

 would have been, for there is no doubt that we 

 do think we can lick the world at steeplechasing ; 

 and so we can too, but there is no earthly- 

 reason why we should not import from Ken- 

 tucky and Virginia horses that can show a bold 

 front both in the hunting field and between 

 the flags. Reginald, however, found that he 

 could get twelve fifties about his horse, and 

 this he was content to take. 



It is needless to say that the Radbrook 

 tenants with their wives and daughters 

 were there to a man, and many were the 

 market carts that were drawn up on the oppo- 

 site side of the course close to the rails. Six- 

 teen horses faced the starter, who got them away 

 well at the second attempt. Reginald knew 

 that Independent could both stay and go fast, 

 so getting well away he jumped the first fence 

 alongside Tittlebat and Vittoria. He had 

 hardly landed, however, when Rattrap came 



