The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-09-10
SPARTAN.
s From "Porter's Spri, of the Times"
THE HIGH-METTLED RACER.
: BY CHARLES J. FOSTER.
CHAPTER I.

They hailed the colt; for speed and fire
Had marked his breed through dam and sire,
Far back to those whose hoots had press'd
Tnc sands Of Araby the blesi!
1t is a rare thing for an English farmerlo
own race-horse; that is 10 say, Que of those
illus,rious scions of noble strain. denomi.
mated Thorough Bred" whose pedigree is
traced without speck or stain back through
the famous Hgbayer, or the renowned
Eclipse, to the celebrated Son Of the Desert,
the Godolphin Arabian. There are excep
tions. however, and The race horse Of this
vertible story, albeit second TO none in blood
and breed, aud sometime famous through
out a sporting district for speed and bottom,
was the property of a farmers son. 1t was
in the stud Of NJ. Hampton, Of Wood.
bourne, in the Hundred of BuIlmgdon, in
the county of Oxford, aud hard 10y the an
cient city, whose classic halls and stately
colleges constitute the mos venerable uni
versily Of England, thai this thorough bred
racer was foaled. Hampton, Of Wood
bourne, or 'the Squire," as he WAS more
commonly called, came of a family ceebra-
ted through many generations n large pro-
prietors of the soil, hard riders, honest drink
ers, and untirlug lovers of the manly sports
Of the lurf and chase. Besides his compact
stud of race-horses, he kept u pack of fox
hounds, maintained the hospitality Of his
ancient house with liberal hand, and spent
his income Of ten thousand year, rs every
body said, like noble gentleman THIS
popularity was second only to that Of hi,
wife, who was young, beautiful, gracious,
aud more than t.lat, he hes 4iors swulnau;
was beloved and respected 10y ,he tenRniry
and peassntry Of his estates, an,i almost
worshippod 10y that large portion Of ne
community who consider that, mex, 10 a
beautiful, fas; and lasting horse an Gle
giant and skiiul horsewoman is about the
nobest object of human contemplation. On
hunting day, this divinity appened
mounted, it might be, upon "Oid King
Cole" famous horse of hers, g-eat at
fence. brook, or a five barred gate, good
for hong day aud II harl run. Sue wore.
on these 0 casions, n dark blue habit, tnrn.
ed down collar, plain beaver hat, aud white
gloves. EIler dark hair was parted, and
cas>sai to the back of her head in two
glossy bands. Iierspyes danced with exulta-
ton, and upon her cheek, blooming, yet
delicate, health aud exercise painted tie
flush OF ripe loveness. As her horse, with
long and easy stride, carried her over the
grass lands, or the plowed fields, and bore
her flying over .he tall fences. the stranger
never Iali, 10 d.fect his inquiries as 10 who
she was. May eager inlormants crowd
round to enl;ghten him, or some veteran Of
the chase, whose intirnties forbid his fur
ther exercise IA the saddle, an aged whip
perrin, parhaps, would step forward, with
an authority and pride, and proceed 10 re-
ply ~ the question.
The traditionasy histories of many hard
runs were related to the stranger and the
interest! 'orv, the latter of whom had
heard ia-iB aboG. ti,e hundred times before;
and The d>ptuation never failed 10 wind up
with full and particular account of how
Mrs. Hamrtou had pounded" the field
wr. 'c'i N0g Cole near the close of
ceieoras.I riu d! IAit.y miles, as the crow
flies.
There vas another female in Woodbourne
who disideCl the almira,iou of that enIight.
eneu hamIe. wi.a Ms. Hampton Tie
Squire Owned a racing mare, a winner
many line aud OFT in her day, of pedi.
gree as,d performances unchallenged--on
the champion of the neighborhood, now
the moihes Of future clampions-and tlds
AVA, The dam of the High MettIel Racer"
When she foalel him, even as the Arabs
and the Tarlars rejoice over tie birth of a
foaI. there was joy in Woodbourne that
Marigold had borne a colt; and much strong
ale was consumed nj the Squire's in celebra.
ting the event. DIR. Ryder, too the wor.
thy vicar, called at the Hall, TO congratu.
late the Squire upon the occasion; and
over their port, after discussing the odds on
the Derby, the Doctor predicted that Stride
way, for so the colt was named, would be
&snccessfal running horse. AS there had
been JOY in Woodbourne that colt was
born, so there was grief some six months
after. when al accident befel, by which
Stideway was believed to have injured his
spine. The fiat went forth TO shoot him;
and never had the sporting world witness.
ed or heard Of his glorious career, had not
young Thornton iuterposed 10 save him.
The young farmers father was tenant up
on the Woodbourne estate, as his forefathers
had been for centuries. The tradition of
Woodbourne hath il, that when Roger
Hampton raised troop Of horse, and took
the field for King Charles, n Tom Thorn
ton, Of that day, rode with him as sergeant.
And old ThoiDton, Toms father, told
maudiD aud marvellous stories in his cups
of the adventures and exploits Of a Roger
Hampton and Tom Thornton in the
''Holy Lands" with "Ricbard le Ro" The
best authority for these, however, is believ.