94 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



little hill to descend, at the bottom of which was a 

 dammed-up water-jump, with the water towards us, on 

 the take-off side. The sun happened to be shining very 

 brightly, and the glitter on the water caused the mare to 

 begin to " prop " coming down the hill, and take the 

 pace off. Do what I would I could not keep up the 

 speed, and up alongside me came the horse that I had 

 been cautioned to be beware of. The rider instantly 

 began to try and ride me outside the left-hand flag, 

 necessitating my keeping a very tight hold of the right 

 rein, whilst remonstrating in very forcible language. Down 

 we came to the water, and down we came on the farther 

 side, for neither of the horses made an effort to jump, 

 being so hampered by each other, and the water being 

 deep close to the fence they went in right up to their 

 shoulders, and fell head over heels. The next three horses 

 were close behind, and down they came too, and I never 

 saw so many rolling bodies and struggling limbs about me 

 either before or since. Just as I had extricated the mare, 

 and was putting my foot into the stirrup, " Havelock " 

 came over the water, having been tailed off by the pace, 

 and I went on after him ; but poor " Ella " was very lame, 

 and, refusing the next three fences one after the other, 

 I pulled her up and walked her back, — and she never 

 started again. At the stud she was unlucky, more than 

 one of her foals meeting with fatal accidents, and the best 

 she bred was " Kneller," by " Knight of the Garter," though 

 he was only a moderate handicap horse at his best. 



It may be a surprise to some to know that the late 

 Duke of Hamilton ever figured in a racing saddle, and 

 yet he did so on more than . one occasion. He rode a 

 magnificent black horse, "The Vet," in a match of £200, 



