128 THE DEAD HEAT 



" The Captain's down ! " screamed a host of voices, 

 as he and the mare came to grief at the second 

 water-jump. 



" May he stick there for the next ten minutes ! " 

 muttered the sly little man, a wish in which not a 

 few joined — a certain fair lady especially. 



But he is up and at work again, none the worse. 

 The horses were going at a great pace, and the 

 jumps were taken with beautiful precision by both. 

 Bradon began to look anxious, the sly little man 

 fidgety, and Lord Plunger wore a thoughtful look. 



The anxious girl's face was flushed to scarlet with 

 excitement and emotion, and she trembled fearfully. 



" It will be a close thing," said the sly-looking 

 little man ; " the mare is better than I thought." 



There were only a few things to be jumped now 

 of any consequence — the two brooks and the big 

 wall. The horses there turned, ran through an 

 opening made in the wall, and finished on the flat 

 in front of the carriages. The brook is now 

 approached for the second time : the mare comes at 

 it first, jumps it, and topples down on her nose on 

 the opposite side ; the Captain is pitched forward 

 on her ears, but recovers himself like lightning, and 

 is away again, leading Fortescue at a terrific pace. 



But what is the little sly man doing ? As the 

 mare recovers herself he is seen to dart across the 



