96 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



artery close to the heart, and his death very hickily was 

 so instantaneous that he had never made the slightest 

 movement of any sort after he had fallen, and Captain 

 Papillon was very little the worse for the accident. 



It was at Aldershot that I had my first winning mount 

 in an important steeplechase, and as it never rains but it 

 pours, the day was a fortunate one for me. I won two 

 races, and very nearly was successful in a third. When 

 in my hut in the North Camp one spring morning, 

 I was told that a gentleman wished to speak to me, and 

 on going out found a stranger waiting, who said he had 

 come to ask me to ride a horse for him, adding " that 

 he did not wish to mention the horse's name, as he wanted 

 to keep it dark." In the course of further conversation it 

 transpired that the horse had been sold for 1800 guineas 

 as a yearling, and had run in the Middle Park Plate. I 

 was only too glad of a good mount, and closed at once 

 with the offer, only stipulating that I should have an 

 opportunity of riding him over some fences, to which he 

 at once agreed, saying that he really much wished I should 

 do so. Before parting I found out that the visitor's name 

 was Captain Milligan, and it was settled that I should ride 

 the horse over the practice steeplechase course before 

 breakfast the next morning. It did not take me many 

 minutes after his departure to find out from Buff's Guide 

 that the only yearling sold in that particular year for 

 1800 guineas was " Leading Suit," and that he had 

 subsequently run for the Middle Park Plate for Sir 

 Frederick Johnston, so I felt satisfied I had ferreted 

 out the identity of my mount. On arriving on the ground 

 the next day I found Captain Milligan and Goddard, the 

 brother of the trainer, waiting for me, while a fine long, 



