1 86 The Course^ the Camp, the Chase 



been mentioned what the party consisted of, and that we 

 were all " Ingleses," for, knowing the country well, we 

 knew the sort of accommodation that might be prepared 

 for us if we were thought to be natives of Spain, To go 

 out to look for lodgings, when very sleepy, at 3 a.m. in a 

 Spanish town, is not a very pleasant proceeding ; but we 

 young men of the party were ruthlessly turned out, and 

 had to make the best arrangements we could ! 



" Solitario " was engaged, on the first day, in the great 

 three-year-old race ; but as he had to meet, at only 6 lb. 

 difference, a remarkably good colt, " II Barbiere," who was 

 not only the best of his year, but the best that had been 

 seen for many years, we knew that there was no chance of 

 winning the race. I was not anxious to run him at all for 

 it, but Heredia wished to start, so Adams received the 

 strictest orders not to make a race of it, and, the moment 

 the colt had had enough, to stop riding him, and let the 

 others fight it out for second place. Even then no one 

 had the slightest inkling, except our own stable, how good 

 " Solitario " really was, for he had been running in very 

 moderate company, and when he had met a pretty good 

 horse he had always had a considerable allowance of 

 weight. Nor had he ever been allowed to win by very 

 much distance. The weight was again too light for me to 

 get to, for it was hard work to waste sufficiently to ride 

 9 St. 10 lb., and now "Solitario" only carried 9 st. 2 lb. 

 Adams, therefore, had the mount, but we had confidence 

 that he would ride to orders. What was our horror, how- 

 ever, to see him jump off, and try to cut " II Barbiere " 

 down from the start ! Forcing the pace he kept him at 

 it, and the pair were lengths away in front of every other 

 horse, " II Barbiere " finally winning by a length and a 



