The herald., 1894-11-17


marked his great ancestor AS we rodo
down the course / could hear the few
boollies who were present in tho ring
reckoning up the chances of the field in
stentorian cries of 80 TO l, bar two" ]
was riding confidential old hunter
which was warranted to stand up over
the country, but | had only entered him
to make up the race, and unless most Of
the others came to grief | had not the
smallest chance to be heard of at the fin
ish. There is not much difficulty in
starting steeplechase, and we all got
away very well. We negotiated the first
three or four fences without any casual
ties. but then we logan to thin out c
little. Fortescue's hard mouthed old
jade went outside the flag at the first
turn, and he did not manage to stop
her till she had gone half mile toward
Dublin. Wilson and Mackworth fell ~
the water jump to the unconcealed salts
faction of the crowd which had collect
ed there, and there We're only five of US
left. Jacky Thompson was leading.
Seymour and Finch were riding side by
side, evidently intending to wait till
we were nearer home and then como
to the front and finish together. Abont
a length behind them was Percy, and
brought up the rear. There was a long
stretch Of grass rather down hill on tho
farther side of the course from the
stand, and here we began to put on the
pace. Percy evidently thought it was
now or never, and that if he allowed
himself to get too far behind he would
not be able to push forward again, SO
he made determined effort and shot
past Seymour and Finch. l think old
Mousetrap's temper must have been up
set by seeing horse passing so close. l
saw him shake his head and try to get
away from Seymour.
The next fence was bank, with q
ditch on the taking off side. 1t was
nothing Of a place really, but only re-
quired little care Thompson got over
cleverly, and Peroy's horse took the
whole in his stride. Then came Sey-
mour, who had hardly steadied Mouse
trap, but even so tho horse ought not to
have made q mistake. Perhaps he was
furrried, or there may have been a
stump sticking up where bush had
been cut away. ! don't know how it
happened, but the horse hit something,
lost his feet and fell on the bank. Sey-
mcur was all right and got clear at once,
slipping back into the ditch. l told you
Finch had been alongside Of Seymour,
and he was close behind him at the fence.
Sorcerer jumped it beautifully; but, 10
my horror, as he was kicking back at the
bank l saw the hoof on his off hind
foot strike tho head of Seymour, who
fell down. Even amid the rattle Of the
horses it seemed to me that could hear
the dull crash of broken bone, and was
sure that q terrible accident had hap
pened. So sure was that, though one
does not often pull up in race, l stop
ped my horse, which indeed had not
now the smallest chance, dismounted
and ran to pick up Seymour. Poor fell
low! l had not been mistaken and could
almost trace the print of the cruel horse.
shoe on the back of his head He was
nearly senseless and just muttered
Gold coldp" A small crowd had begun
to collect, and | borrowed q couple of
frleze coats from two sympathizing
countrymen, trying with them to cover
my poor friend, and laid him in as easy
position as possible. The race glasses
at the stand had seen that something se-
rious had happened, and our good old
surgeon, Macpherson, came up on a
trooper which he had taken from one of
our men who was keeping the ground
When he had examined the injury, his
kind face foil as he said: II fear the base
of the skull is fractured If SO, it is
only q question Of hours Fortunately
the accident had happened near the road,
Ind carriage was quickly procured, in
which Seymour was placed and taken
away by Macpherson
When l came back to the stand,
found that Finch had won the race east
ly and was still quito unconscious that
his friend was hurt I did not tell him
the particulars, but only said that it
had been thought better to take Sey.
mour back to Dublin. He pulled a
wrapper over his racing jacket jumped
on q hack and started at u gallop i'll
pursuit Immediately afterward l mel
Mary Mccartney. She had very white
face and tears in her deep violet eyes as
she besought mo to tell her if the accf-
dent had been dangerous. I made the
best of things, but she, think, OWNED
tho sad truth and made her mother take
her home. There was heavy cloud
over everybody for the rest of the day,
and though we got through all the races
on the card there was little spirit in
anything, and we were glad when we
were ablo to break up. There was little
cha1f or fun on the drive home.
We had q miserable time of alter
nate hopes and fears about our comrade,
but i'll three days all was over. Finch
was inconsolable, though fortunately
neither he nor any one else at the time
knew that he had been the cause of Sey-
mour's death. 1t was always supposed
that Mousetrap had kicked his master
in his struggles to recover himself when
he fell. | have never told the real story
till tonight, and you will not let it go
further. Sir Thomas Finch is a great
swell now, but l don't think he would
learn without deep pain that, however
innocently, he was the cause of the
death vacancy by which he got the
troop that gave him the first start in
his successful career.
What became Of Mary Mccartney!
Oh, she is Lady Finch, and, 'pon my
soul, think she is still as beautiful and