J 6 Life and Times of " The Druid." 



offered to change horses, and ride the match 

 over again after dinner. Of course the story 

 that another match was about to come off 

 got wind at dinner, and there was a strong 

 muster in the field below Bilton Church to 

 see the start. The race was a point-to-point 

 gallop from Bilton Church to Newbold 

 Steeple, and the course pursued by the riders 

 crossed the London and Birmingham Rail- 

 way, which at that time was in course of 

 construction, and had been marked out 

 by Mr. Robert Stephenson, C.E., with stiff 

 post and rails on each side. At this point 

 many lower boys were assembled, in the 

 hope that the -School-house champion, who 

 was a notorious bully, might come to grief. 

 The rider of Chater's chestnut took the lead, 

 and was first over every fence. His oppo- 

 nent waited steadily, never allowing his horse 

 to refuse, which he had done repeatedly in 

 the first race. In this manner they jumped 

 into the last field, adjoining Newbold 

 Church, with the chestnut still leading and 

 the bay lying at his quarters. Then Uve- 

 dale Corbett called upon the latter, and 

 passed his rival without an effort, winning 

 easily by half-a-dozen lengths. 



