George Tomkyns Chesney

“ But while he stands wondering how his colours can have become known, the young lady looking down, recognizes and greets him with a gracious bow and smile, in which the young man thinks he can read sympathy and encouragement — encouragement for the impending event and also for the future. ”

“ He failed to clear the last hedge properly, but brushed through the top, and every yard since he has been going worse. The little horse is done. Now the last and biggest jump of all is close in front, and Yorke would fain have taken a pull on his horse and brought him up to it quietly. But there is no time to do this; glancing round he sees Egan riding coolly a bare two lengths behind. There is nothing for it but to cram on, and spurring Devotion, he drives him as hard as he can at the obstacle. ”

“ Egan bringing up the rear some way behind. So far Yorke feels that he has got along well; the pace is faster than he expected, but the little grey took the wall beautifully. The next fence, another covered hurdle, is a mere joke for all the horses. The double ditch and hedge is more formidable, but again they all get over. Next comes the ditch and bank, and Mr. Gowett pulling up Veteran to an easy canter, the old horse jumps cleverly on to the bank and down the other side. Chupkin, who goes at it full gallop, is less fortunate ”

“ Yorke cannot afford to pull up for the ditch and bank, lest Gowett should be left with too long a lead, so drives the grey at it, who clears the jump in his stride, thereby gaining considerably on Veteran. The mare also gets over all right, and the three are then left in the race. There now remain only two hedges and the water-jump; but the old horse still leads by some lengths, and Yorke knows that as far as galloping goes his own has no chance against it. Egan also seems to have played a waiting game too long ”

“ The steeplechase-course extended beyond the circumference of the ordinary race-course, which it left at the quarter-mile post out and rejoined again at the distance-post, the run in being parallel to and inside the flat course, so that the fences could be set up beforehand without interfering with the previous flat races, while the same winning-post served for both. Thus the flat course intervened between the stand and the straight part of the steeplechase-course ”

“ If the pace does not get forced too much, but he has time to take his fences quietly, I don't believe there's one of them can come near him. Now then, Arty, pop him over just once more and back again, so that he may know what a mud wall is like when he sees it, and then that will be enough for the old boy." Which feat accomplished, and the grey having had his gallop in a circuit over the neighbouring fields of young corn, while Spragge looked on approvingly, the two young officers returned slowly home. ”

“ That spacious edifice, which could accommodate a hundred persons with ease, yet was pretty full on this occasion, was raised on pillars a few feet above the ground, with space underneath for the scales and for the servants engaged in making tea for the ladies. ”

“ This attitude is not favourable for steeple-chasing; Roostum crashes through the first fence without attempting to rise to it, tearing a gap about thirty feet wide, through which the others follow at a more leisurely pace, and he gets through the second in the same way; but this mode of dealing with the wall is not equally successful. Charging that in the same blind way, the gallant chestnut rolls over heavily on the other side, shooting his rider still further forward. Fortunately the race committee, with considerate forethought, had ploughed up the light soil beyond the wall, so that Mr. ”