CHAPTER XVIII. 



Steeple-chase at D' Urban The last day's sport The bar at Natal 

 Reach Table Bay Impertinent " pike"-keeper Chased by a policeman 

 Dishonest auctioneer St. Helena Turtle-catching Waterspouts 

 Cintra Lisbon Best weapons for the bush Extra gun-stocks neces- 

 sary Recommendation to "used-up " individuals. 



A SHORT time before I left D'Urban we had some races on 

 the flat. The horses were not quite equal to those seen at 

 Newmarket ; but still, where time is not much noted by 

 the watch, a good race is a good race, although the mile 

 may take more than two minutes in running. 



The first race of the day was a mile, over four flights of 

 hurdles, catch weight, any riders. Any riders they were too 

 as, at the first hurdle, only two out of six got over safely ; 

 two jockeys were sent clean out of their saddles, one horse 

 came down on his head, and another refused. Before 

 coming to the second flight, one of the two fortunate 

 horses swerved and missed his fence, but his jock, still 

 keeping on, took the remaining two, and won easily ; the 

 race was, however, given against him on account of the 

 slip. All other horses being distanced, the one horse that 

 had fairly gone the course, should, after a walk over, -have 

 taken the stakes ; but a very powerful- looking jock on a 

 distanced horse, insinuating that he would break any 

 one's head who said he was distanced, seemed to have 

 some influence on the judge, who decided that this man's 

 horse was to be allowed to start in the second heat. 



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