172 A MILITARY STEEPLE-CHASE 



never could make '' The Gardener " even look like 

 riding ; not that he was destitute of pluck, but he 

 was utterly unable to stick on the horse. He had 

 a large stud of hunters, but when out he almost 

 invariably tumbled off at each fence. 



Amongst those who nominated horses was the 

 celebrated Captain Lane, of the Hussars, who was 

 said to be so good a jockey that the professionals 

 grumbled greatly at having to give him amateurs' 

 allowance. No one was better at imperceptibly 

 boring a competitor out of the course ; and at caus- 

 ing false starts and balking at fences he was without 

 a rival. The way he would seem to be hard on his 

 horse with his whip, when only striking his own 

 leg, was quite a master-piece. Eeport declared that 

 he trained all his own horses to these dodges, and I 

 believe it was quite true, as his were quite quiet 

 and cool under the performances when the rest 

 were almost fretted out of their lives. 



When the handicap came out I found, to my 

 great disgust, that such a crusher had been put on 

 my horse that I at once put the pen through his 

 name — not caring to run him on tlie off-cliance of his 

 standing up and the rest coming to grief, or with tlie 

 probability, anyhow, of a punishing finish. How- 

 ever, the next night after mess, the Major called me 

 up to him in the ante-room, and said : " I liear you 



