134 BIPEDS AND QUADBUPEDS. 



cence fancy their friend has all but the race in 

 hand ; but, to make success appear still more cer- 

 tain, he is seen still leading when only a few 

 hundred yards from home ; a little further, to his 

 horror and dismay, he hears, and most probably he 

 looks round and sees, a professional stealing on 

 him ; whip and spurs immediately go to work as 

 a matter of course ; seeing this, whatever the pro- 

 fessional or ;?rac?iserf gentleman jock (whichever it 

 may be) might have felt before, he now books the 

 race safe ; a few strides more he brings his horse 

 alongside, gives him a professional shake, and wins 

 as he likes. It is, however, some consolation to our 

 defeated jockey, that the ladies tell him " he rode 

 beautifully, that he had beat them all till the last 

 fifty yards, v^hen that nasty horse and the man in 

 that hideous black jacket and white cap won !" 



In riding a steeple-chase vanity has nearly similar 

 effect, but worse, for it induces the going on with a 

 horse in dire distress, for no other purpose than 

 fancying it less mortifying to be fifth or sixth than 

 quite out of " the ruck ;" the practised rider, and 



