HARK FORRARD! 137 



Providence. Independent stopped as if he had 

 been shot for a second, and then tried to jump 

 the fence ; he got over, but landed short and fell, 

 A^iltoria and Tittlebat sailed over side by side, 

 and a couple more followed suit. Reginald was 

 up and away as soon as possible, but he felt that 

 his chance of victory was a forlorn one, as the 

 two leaders were now^ at least one hundred yards 

 to the good. He had too much sense, however, to 

 bustle his horse, who luckily did not seem a bit 

 the worse for his fall. Before he had gone two 

 fields he had passed all but the two leaders, but 

 found that he gained but little on them. On 

 they went, each jockey riding to orders, namely 

 to cut the other down, making the pace a fear- 

 ful cracker, and Eeginald felt that unless they 

 came to grief his chance of victory was indeed 

 remote. They raced at the last fence neck and 

 neck, but as they rose each horse swerved from 

 distress. They collided and fell neck and heels 

 into the next field. Reginald now crammed on 

 all speed. Just as he rose at the fence, the 

 rider of Tittlebat, who had remounted, set his 



