A MILITARY STEEPLE-CHASE 175 



side — on the top a young, quick-set hedge, and, to 

 prevent horses or cattle injuring it, two wattle 

 fences, one on each side, slanting outwards. After 

 this, there was a slight ascent of about 300 yards ; 

 then there was dead level of about a quarter of a 

 mile up to the winning-post. 



On the evening before the chase, we had a grand 

 cjuest nidit, to which, of course, all the officers of 

 other regiments who had entered horses were in- 

 vited. We youngsters were anxious to see Captain 

 Lane, of whom we had heard so much. 



On his arrival, after the usual salutations, 

 he enquired of the Major whether he was going 

 to ride, and, on receiving a negative, asked who 

 was ; and on having the intending jockeys pointed 

 out to him, just favoured us with a kind of con- 

 temptuous glance, never taking any furtlier notice 

 of us. 



The celebrated Captain was a slight man, about 

 five feet eight inches, with not a particularly pleasant 

 look about his eyes, and looking far more the jock 

 than the soldier. The steeple-chases were fixed for 

 the next day at 2.30 r.M., but, as a matter of fact, 

 all the riders were on the ground long before that 

 for the purpose of examining the ground and the 

 fences. 



The Major came to see me duly weighed out, and 



