176 A MILITARY STEEPLE-CHASE 



gave me instructions as to riding — that I was not 

 on any account to race with everyone w4io came 

 alongside me, nor to make the running at first, 

 unless the pace was very slow and muddling, of 

 which there was little danger, for quite half the 

 jocks, he said, would go off as if they were in for a 

 five furlong spin, and not for a four mile steeple-chase. 



I was to lie behind, though handy, until we came 

 to the descent to the stream and then make the 

 pace down and home as hot as I could, — to find out 

 the " dicky forelegs," he said, kn owning that Jerry's 

 were like steel. 



We all got down to the post pretty punctually, 

 and, of course, in a race of this description, the 

 starter had no difficulty in dropping his flag at the 

 first attempt. 



I gave Jerry his head, and to my joy he took 

 the first fence as straight and quietly as possible, 

 so taking a pull at him, I was at once passed by 

 some half dozen men (the gallant " Gardener " 

 amongst them) going as hard as they could tear. 

 It was lucky for them that the fences were light 

 and old, as most of the horses rushed through 

 them. When they got to the bullfinch, one horse 

 refused, and another attempting to, slipped up and 

 lay in a very awkward looking lump, jock and all 

 close under it. The rest havincr been a little 



