2o6 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



had won the Duke of Montpensier's Prize, " La Eeina " 

 refused to present me with the cup. I am afraid I did 

 not feel the implied reproof as I ought, for it saved me a 

 lot of trouble. Englishmen do not take kindly to 

 being made " sights of," although I was pretty well used 

 to it, and had learned a little Spanish speech by heart, 

 varying it according to the name of the race that had been 

 won. This had been the last race of the day, and being 

 very hungry, as I had had nothing to eat since my meagre 

 breakfast, I caught hold of an old friend, and said, " Don 

 Jose, do get me something to eat, I am so hungry." 

 Seville is something like Ascot, on a smaller scale, with 

 numerous luncheon parties, but the hour was very late. 

 Don Jos^ went to search, but returned presently, saymg 

 that though he had done all he could, he had been un- 

 successful, as every luncheon had been packed up and sent 

 back to Seville. He added that the only luncheon left 

 was in the Eoyal Tent. " Can you get me into that ? " 

 I asked him. " Oh, yes," he replied, " quite easily." 

 " That will do," was my answer ; and so I got some food 

 after all, though unbeknown to the Eoyal Hostess. 



We had occasionally to stable our horses in very queer 

 places at the Spring Meeting at Seville, for the Great Fair 

 is held at the same time, and regular stables are most 

 difficult to obtain. At one meeting we had to put them 

 into a gymnasium, — but it did not prevent them from 

 winning ! Another time our stable was the lower room 

 of a priest's house, and glad enough we were to get any 

 place that was quiet. That time we carried off the chief 

 event of the meeting, and also another race. I remember 

 a remarkably pretty girl, niece of the Padre, peeping into 

 the " stable " to see how we were uettiuy: on, and dad 



