136 HARK FORRARD! ' 



sailing past him intent on fulfilling liis mission 

 of making running for his stable companion. 

 This he did to some tune, as before the first 

 mile had been covered he held a lead of twenty 

 lengths. Reginald sat still watching Tittlebat, 

 Vittoria, and two others which were all going 

 well. He had not seen the fracas which 

 occurred at the first fence, whereby some 

 half-dozen horses got inextricably mixed up 

 in consequence of the refusal of two of the 

 number. 



This half-dozen, for any chance they now 

 possessed, might as well have remained in their 

 stable. Independent was going strong and 

 well, and pulling so hard that Reginald let him 

 out a little before another half-mile was tra- 

 versed. He had got within a couple of lengths 

 of Rattrap, Tittlebat and Vittoria were three or 

 four lengths behind him. All of a sudden, when 

 within two strides of a big fence with a yawn- 

 ing ditch on the landing side, Rattrap refused 

 and came round bang in front of Independent. 

 It was too late to do anything but trust to 



