FLYING FOX DELAYS START 



the other boys. I was very pleased with the look of 

 him and I told M. de Bremond so. But he didn't 

 want to know much about that. He had backed the 

 horse and he said to me, what I already knew, that " I 

 had to beat Flying Fox." 



He laughed a little and I smiled back at him, saying 

 something to the effect that one never knew the luck 

 of it. 



Well, we went down to the post and it was here that 

 I began to think a great deal more of my chance, for 

 Holocaust stood as quiet as a sheep during those five 

 false starts which I have already spoken of, wherein 

 Flying Fox went a quarter of a mile to three furlongs 

 after every breakaway. Yes, I was just tickled to 

 death with the grey ; he was beautifully behaved — 

 as quiet and good-natured a horse as I had ever been on. 



At last at the sixth attempt we were off. We went 

 up the hill to the top and raced down to Tattenham 

 corner. I was a neck in front of Flying Fox and to 

 my delight saw that Momy had got his whip out 

 on the favourite. Before that I hadn't really the 

 remotest idea of actually beating him, and anyhow 

 I should have had no pretensions to do so if it hadn't 

 been for those false starts. I got Morny on the rails 

 and I was going as easily as possible whereas Flying 

 Fox got the stick again. 



We crossed the Tan road and had only about a 

 furlong and a half to go, with Flying Fox well beaten 

 by this time and Holocaust not having been called 

 on for any effort at all. Suddenly something 

 happened — I thought I had been cut into. There was 

 a shock, and it was as much as I could do to keep in 

 my saddle. The poor beggar rolled from side to side 

 but he didn't come down as many have asserted that 

 he did. Of course he eased up very soon to a walk. 



137 



