Chapter 25

           

           Therewereseventeenofficersinallridinginthisrace.Theracecoursewasalargethree-mileringoftheformofanellipseinfrontofthepavilion.Onthiscoursenineobstacleshadbeenarranged:thestream,abigandsolidbarrierfivefeethigh,justbeforethepavilion,adryditch,aditchfullofwater,aprecipitousslope,anIrishbarricade(oneofthemostdifficultobstacles,consistingofamoundfencedwithbrushwood,beyondwhichwasaditchoutofsightforthehorses,sothatthehorsehadtoclearbothobstaclesormightbekilled);thentwomoreditchesfilledwithwater,andonedryone;andtheendoftheracewasjustfacingthepavilion.Buttheracebegannotinthering,buttwohundredyardsawayfromit,andinthatpartofthecoursewasthefirstobstacle,adammed-upstream,sevenfeetinbreadth,whichtheracerscouldleaporwadethroughastheypreferred.

           Threetimestheywererangedreadytostart,buteachtimesomehorsethrustitselfoutofline,andtheyhadtobeginagain.Theumpirewhowasstartingthem,ColonelSestrin,wasbeginningtolosehistemper,whenatlastforthefourthtimeheshouted“Away!”andtheracersstarted.

           Everyeye,everyopera-glass,wasturnedonthebrightlycoloredgroupofridersatthemomenttheywereinlinetostart.

           “They’reoff!They’restarting!”washeardonallsidesafterthehushofexpectation.

           Andlittlegroupsandsolitaryfiguresamongthepublicbeganrunningfromplacetoplacetogetabetterview.

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