132 THE DEAD HEAT 



" What ? " yelled out O'Eooney. " Look again, 

 man, look again ! " 



" Eleven stone eleven," replied the clerk. 



" Give me my bridle ! " roared the Captain. 

 " What the h — 11 is the matter ? " 



" Ay, give him his bridle ! " said the sly-looking 

 little man ; ''he can claim a pound for it ; but that 

 won't make him right. Look at your saddle-cloth, 

 sir. You will see it has burst and a three-pounds 

 lead gone. You did it at the big water-jump the 

 second time, and I picked it up. Here it is." 



Cheer after cheer rent the air as the fact was 

 announced. The soldiers, of course, went almost 

 frantic. 



"Here, come away," said Lord Plunger and 

 Bradon, seizing Charley's arm, " Get away as quickly 

 as you can. There will be a row. Your horse has 

 already gone, with seventy or eighty of our men 

 with him. You rode the race splendidly, old 

 fellow ! " 



" That he did," said the sly -looking little man. 



The Captain had lost the race. He was short 

 by two pounds, allowing him one for his bridle. 

 The scene of confusion that followed was indescrib- 

 able. 



Fortescue was taken to the carriage and quickly 

 driven away. 



