2 26 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



she ran very raw, though willing to try, and we soon got 

 some lengths behind the others. After a little while she 

 began to understand better how to take her fences, and we 

 gradually crept up again until a very awkward occurrence 

 happened, especially for such a green mount as mine was. 

 At the biggest bank in the course a horse, just in front on 

 the right, kicked back, and struck a huge piece of gorse 

 out of the bank, which came rolling over and over, just in 

 front of the mare at about the height of her head. I was 

 completely puzzled what to do, for there was no time to 

 avoid it. " Elmina," however, boldly charged into it 

 like a bullfinch, though in doing so she caught the 

 bank with her knees and pitched on to her head on 

 the far side. 



I thought we were down, but she was very active and 

 was soon in her stride again, though we had lost some 

 lengths by the faux pas. We made up some of our leeway, 

 however, before we got to the bottom turn, and as there 

 was then only a hurdle to jump and a couple of easy 

 fences, I began to think we still had a chance. 



As " Elmina " had been well schooled over the bar, I 

 rode confidently at the hurdle, thinking that at anyrate 

 she knew what " timber " was, but alas for my judgment ! 

 The mare never rose at all, breaking every bar of the 

 hurdle, and again we had a great scramble to keep the 

 right side up. We managed it, however, though the leader 

 had got too far ahead to make things comfortable. 

 Fortunately, however, for me he jumped slowly at the two 

 last fences, and the mare, having now thoroughly got her 

 blood up, flew them like an accomplished steeplechaser, 

 landing at the other's quarters over the last jump. It was 

 then all over but shouting, as her speed on the flat stood 



