33y 



subsided, but the weather continued cold and cheerless ; time, 

 3hr. 25min. 30sec. 



The hundred railes were completed in four ko2irs, nineteen minutes^ and 

 forty seconds, and any odds were offered on The Squire. As he appeared 

 a bit stiff, though still in good spirits, a proposition was now made to 

 him to change his wet clothes, but he declined. At the end of 104 

 miles he took a crust of bread and a mouthful of brandy and cold 

 water, stopping rather more than two minutes. Soon after the rain 

 came down again in torrents but cleared off after a round or two. 



When he had completed his 1 20 miles, which he did in 5hr. 1 1 min. SOsec, 

 he proceeded to the stand house for refreshment, declaring he was as 

 hungry as a hunter. He eat heartily of cold partridges and drank a 

 glass of sherry, but stopped only 6min. SOsec. , during which he con- 

 versed jovially with his friends, many of whom were ladies. His next 

 horse — the thirty-first change — was Ikey Solomons, who, like the man 

 he was called after, did badly, for soon after starting he pecked and 

 The Squire, who was standing high in his stirrups at the time, was sent 

 clean over the horse's head and fell full length on the ground. The 

 brute ran away but was caught 200 yards off and being brought back 

 was set going again, but that heat took 12 min. On alighting the rider 

 seemed flurried and distressed, but he pulled himself together imme- 

 diately and set off again in high glee. 25 to 20 was then offered 

 against his doing the distance in nine hours, the fall giving new hopes 

 to the backers of time. At the end of the next eight miles The Squire 

 showed slight weakness, and for an instant sat on a friend's knee, 

 nevertheless he was on the road again in SOsec, 



One huadred and fifty-six miles were performed in 6hr. 49min., thus 

 leaving 2hr. llmin. to do the 44 miles to win in nine hours, or at the 

 rate of 20 miles an hour, which, from what had already been done, was 

 deemed easy work, the more particularly as The Squire was as fresh 

 and gay as a lark. He laughed heartily, took a glass of sherry and 

 said he was as hungry as a hawk. In 403ec. he was mounted and away 

 again amidst loud cheers, and with 6 to 4 on his doing the journey in 

 nine hours and 10 to 1 on his winning the match. After the forty-second 

 mount the weather suddenly changed into brilliant sunshine, and as the 

 gallant fellow came in, sitting as firm as a rock and apparently as fresh 

 as ever, he was received with great applause, and started again in 6sec. 



The weather became again unfavourable after 180 miles, but The 

 Squire was undaunted. So bad was it soon after starting for the forty- 

 seventh round that Streamlet, the mare he was riding, actually stopped 

 and turned about, afraid to face the tremendous storm. This gave 

 the "timers'' hopes, only to be dispelled immediately, for the time 

 taken for this four miles was only lOmin. 15sec. 



Surrounded by a tremendous crowd of spectators, the gallant horse- 

 man started on Skirmisher for the final and fiftieth heat. This waa 

 done in 9min. 40s3c., amidst thunders of applause, making the whole 

 time for the 200 miles, including all stoppages, exactly 8hr. 42min. 



