The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-29
AT A FRENCH RACE COURSE.

A Queer Steeplechase, Queerer Ladies
 and Much Retting-Le Sport Des | "Snohs."
 The seven horses came almost in lire for the first water jump opposite the stand. They looked like taking 1t to- gether till a couple of lengths away. Then two suddenly swerved Whipped round and ran out. Two more plun- eered on tha further side and went down. One landed among the fallen, shied and then trotted through and went after the leaders. The two that had got clean over were already out of sight round the corner of the stand.
 TWO horses left in it, with four-f1fths 4 of the course still to run-and this was 1 the Prix Montgomery, one of the big gest steepIecl ares in France. The horse had backed was the third which 1 had got over without damage, and Ii either of the leaders went down-wh1ch on present experience wal ten tc one chance-I should make money.
 The two leaders appeared on the fur ther s.de of the course, locked together, but where was mine? ! looked and looked-and presently, through glasses, discerned her refusing a simple hurdle, all by herself in a corner of the co lrse. Presently one of the horses that had run out reappea ed, to the water jump, and sailed off, respectable fourth, half a mile or so behind. Just as the two leaders were coming round the second time one of the jockeys who had fallen remounted and cantered off comfortable fifth.
 The first two took the fence and water again without fault, and l looked out again for my third. She l had na over the hurdle ard fence and an in-and-out, and was now--say a tn usand yards beh nd--eonscieatiously refusing another hurdle. After while the jockey sat still to wait on the chance that something might have got up and come along to give him lead. Presently the fourth horse arrived and gave the required lead, but my beast refused it with contempt For her part. she generously waited till the fifth horse arrived, and they went ami cably On together mile CT so behind.
 She survived until the second water jump, and then refused definitely. and the jockey. perceiving the leaders just arriving for the third time, sat down in the saddle to watch the finish, It was not doubtful. Half a mile behind, the third horse rolled in comfortably, and as I threw my pari mutuel ticket over the rails and went down stairs I was aware of the unhurried advent of the fourth.
 I own I thought the race a trife dis appointing-but the crowd? Disap- DO nted? Not they As the horses were coming to the st9 nd, after the first five furlongs or so they were made aware by a tinkle that the race was starte1. They gave a groan of joy when they saw the horses and jockeys come down at the water jump, and then turned with energy to conversation again At the finish they turned, 'doz- en of them languidy applauded the winner, and wept eff to get their mon y from the part mutuel.
 Why should they bother about the racing? It was a delicious day. clear, soft ard clean after rain; it is divine 1y beautiful course, and they had on their best clothes
 The Auteuil race course is at the southern end of the Bois deBoulogne The turf was green velvet; the last leaves, just c1inging to the trees with one drop or two of sap remaining, made hangings of red and brown and yellow round the long green oval. Rising i above them were the upper stories of a few gray mansions, the Biffel Tower the Great Wheel; above thesa again, of more toneless gray, the foreshortaned slopes of hills. Goodwood has Q ruder, fuller -bloo5e1 beauty; Auteuil has cx- actly the civilized, small -compassed, symmetrical beauty of Paris. Coed ], wood lends itself to many pictures; Auteuil is one complete and whole pie ture. As for Newmarzet-the town i that smells of stable, the leafless sweep of downs, the razor-edged wind-you had only to look about you to see that there could be no such thing in France. You had only to look at the people The insular verdict, at the first sight of them, would be that you did not think there were so many gentlemen in Pa is nor so many c5cottes in the world Next moment candos pulled your sleeve to remind you that an un-Eng- fish habit may yet contain a gentleman, and all that rouges is not cocotte. But