8 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



and feeling very much annoyed at being " done," Mr. 

 Thompson rode off to the carriage where his wife was 

 sitting, and requested her to " Hand me out George." 

 Through the window he was accordingly handed, and 

 quickly transferred to the back of the " Maid of Skelgate," 

 his bodily weight being only 2 st. 13 lb. " Hold your 

 reins tight, and as soon as they say ' Go,' come home as 

 fast as you can," were the orders he received, and carrying 

 them out to the letter, he won by several lengths, to the 

 delight of the crowd. 



Once when schooling the famous " Globule " with the 

 York and Ainsty, he got a fall near Whixley, and 

 turned a complete somersault. On reaching home, he 

 missed some money that had been in his waistcoat 

 pocket, so he returned the next day to the place where 

 he had fallen, and there he found the coins at the very 

 spot. " Globule " was a very small horse, but extra- 

 ordinarily stout, and he won the Great Metropolitan 

 Steeplechase, of four miles, at Croydon, at that time 

 perhaps the next most important steeplechase after the 

 Liverpool. 



Mr. Heathcote, who then owned and lived at " The 

 Durdans," Epsom, now the residence of Lord Eosebery, 

 had a famous racing pony, and before the Metropolitan 

 Steeplechase was decided arranged a match between this 

 pony and " Globule," to be run on the succeeding day. 

 The conditions stated that 7 lb. were to be allowed 

 for every inch in height, and great was Mr. Heathcote's 

 consternation when the two competitors came to be 

 measured, to find that whereas his own pony was 14 

 hands 2| inches, "Globule" was only 14 hands 3 inches. 

 He therefore had to meet " Globule," the recent winner 



