The Great Downshire Handicap 67 



way. She belongs to queerish people, as yon know, and 

 you musn't take all her running as correct, but she fairly 

 held me at Kempton when I won on Lord Harry.' 



* Yes,' Cecil interjected, ' and you only meet her on 

 3 lb. better terms ; that was a mile and quarter, too, so 

 that she stays a bit ; I didn't think she was going to 

 run,' and his face grew serious again. 



' I'm not much afraid of her, all the same,' Chattress 

 said, reassuringly. ' She doesn't fairly stay. She died 

 away to nothing at the finish, and that race was no test, 

 for we only ran about a quarter of a mile— muddled 

 along anyhow till we turned the corner, and my mare 

 Flood Tide will bring us along in the race. The extra 

 quarter of a mile is all in our favour, for our horse 

 does get the course. They backed Puzzle that day, and I 

 knew by the way George tried to hustle me out of it in 

 the run home that he was desperately keen to win. 

 Fortunatus was never so well in his life as he is now, 

 and though I don't like to hear of you plunging, Mr. 

 Auburn, and am very sorry things are as bad as you tell 

 me, I do think it will be all right on Thursday evening ! ' 



All right ! Dick Chattress and his friends as they 

 drove to the station little dreamed of a scene that was 

 being enacted near home. 



It has been said that a long plantation stood in the 

 midst of the downs. It afforded the horses shelter from 

 various winds in bad weather, and the long ride up 

 the middle was set out with schooling fences, where the 

 young jumpers took their first lessons— a good place, as 

 they could not well run out with trees on either side of 

 them. Eabbits and oftentimes a few hares were found in 

 this little wood, it was rather a favourite resort of 

 pigeons, and on one occasion a big fox was put up and 



F 2 



