The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-11-09
VOL. XXXIX---NO. A.

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not much difficulty in starting a stee-
plechase, and we all got away very
well. We negotiated the first three or
four fences without any casualties,
but then we began to thin out 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 Dub
lin. Wilson and Mackworth fell at the
water jump, to the unconcealed salts
| faction of the crowd which had collect
| ed there, and there were 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
| come to the front and finish togeth-
err. About a length behind them was
Percy, and l brought up the rear
| There was a long stretch of grass
| rather down hill on the further 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 de-
termined effort and shot past Seymour
and Finch. l think old Mousetrap's
temper must have been upset by see
ing horse passing so close. l saw
him shake his head and try to get
away from Seymour.
The next fence was a bank, with
ditch on the taking off side. 1t was
nothing of place really, but only re-
quired a little care. Thompson got
over cleverly, and Percy's horse took
the whole in his stride. Then came
Seymour, who had hardly steadied
Mousetrap, but even so the horse
ought not to have made a mistake.
Perhaps he was Hurried, or there may
have been stump sticking up where
a bush had been cut away. | don't
known how it happened, but the horse
hit something, lost his feet and fell on
the bank. Seymour 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,
to my horror, as he was kicking back
at the bank | saw the hoof on his off
hind foot strike the 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 terrible
accident had happened. So sure was
| that, though one does not often pull
up in a race, | stopped my horse,
which indeed had not now the small
est chance, dismounted and ran to
pick up Seymour. Poor fellow!
had not been mistaken and could al
most trace the print of the cruel horse
shoe ON the back of his head. He was
nearly senseless and just muttered
Gold, cold ~ A small crowd had be-
gun to collect, and borrowed a couple
of frieze coats from two sympathiZing
countrymen, trying with them to COW
er my poor friend, and lay him i'll as
easy a position as possible. The race
glasses at the stand had seen that
something serious had happened, and
our good old surgeon, Macpherson,
came up on trooper which he had
taken from one of our men who was
keeping the ground. When he had
examined the injury, his kind face fell
as he said: 81 fear the base of the
skull is fractured If so, it is only
question of hours" Fortunately the
accident had happened near the road,
and carriage was quickly procured,
in which Seymour was placed and tax
en- away by Macpherson.
When l came back to the stand, l
found that Finch had won the race
easily and was still quite unconscious
that his friend was hurt. | did not
tell him the particulars, but only said
that it had been thought better TO
take Seymour back to Dublin. He
pulled Il wrapper over his racing
jacket, jumped on hack and started
at Il gallop in pursuit. Immediately
afterward | met Mary Mccartney.
She had a very white face and tears
in her deep violet eyes as she besought
me to tell her if the accident had been
dangerous. | made the best of things,
but she, | think, OWNED the sad truth
and made her mother take her home.
There was heavy cloud over every
body for the rest of the day, and
though we got through all the races on
the card there was little spirit in any
thing. and we were glad when we
were able to break up. There was
little chaff or fun on the drive home.
We had a miserable time of alter
nate hopes and fears about our COM
rade, but in three days all was over.
Finch was inconsolable, though FORUM
ately neither he nor any one else at
the time knew that he had been the
cause of Seymour's death. 1t was al
ways 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 | don't think he would learn with
out deep pain that, however innocent
ly, he was the cause of the death va
cany by which he got the troop that
gave him the first start in his success
full career.
What became of Mary Mccartney?
Oh, she is Lady Finch, and, pom my
soul, | think she is still us beautiful
and charming as ever.