180 RACECOURSE AND COVERT SIDE. 



"It's almost time to get ready. Will you 

 come with me ? " Forester said, as they began to 

 clear the course for the second race. 



My divinity had gone off to the stand with a 

 number of the party while I was talking to the 

 squire, and, not unwilling to penetrate into the 

 mysteries of a racecourse, I strolled away with 

 Forester. 



Just as we reached the second fence, a hedge 

 with a small ditch on each side of it, Dacre, 

 attired in a sky-blue jacket, rode out of a shed 

 near the track where his horse had been saddled. 

 He cantered up, and as I gazed with astonish- 

 ment at his easy fashion of managing the fidgety 

 little mare he bestrode, the animal rose at the 

 fence, just skimmed the top twigs and landed 

 lightly near to us : her rider scarcely swinging 

 in the saddle, and turning his head, almost before 

 his mare's feet touched the ground, towards a 

 crowd which had assembled round a large, power- 

 ful, hot-looking, chestnut horse, which had 

 rather upset the equanimity of his surrounders 

 by launching out a mighty kick with his 

 enormous hind legs. 



" He is a beauty, a real beauty ; and they 

 say as good as he looks — though you know more 

 about that than any one else, I suppose," 

 Forester remarked. 



