o be of the slightest benefit," replied I.

"Then the sooner we get to horse the better," returned Oaklands;
"hearing of a thing of this kind always annoys me, and I feel disposed
to hate my species: a good gallop may shake me into a better humour."

"And the _dolce-far-niente_?" I inquired.

"Oh! don't imagine me inconsistent," was the reply. "Only somehow, just
at present, in fact ever since the ~185~~breeze last night, I've found
it more trouble to remain quiet than to exert myself; so, if you would
not tire me to death, walk a little faster, there's a good fellow."

After a brisk ride of nearly two hours along cross-roads, we came out
upon a wild heath or common of considerable extent.

"Here's a famous place for a gallop," exclaimed Oaklands; "I never can
make up my mind which is the fastest of these two horses; let's have a
race and try their speed. Do you see that tall poplar tree which seems
poking its top into the sky on the other side the common? that shall be
the winning-post. Now, are you ready?"

"All right, go ahead," replied I, bending forward and giving my horse
the rein. Away we went merrily, the high-couraged animals bounding
beneath us, and the fresh air whistling round our ears as we seemed to
cut our way through it. For some time we kept side by side. The horse
Oaklands rode was, if anything, a finer, certainly a more powerful
animal than the one on which I was mounted; but this advantage was fully
compensated by the fact of his riding nearly a stone heavier than I did.
We were, therefore, on the whole, very fairly matched.

After riding at speed, as well as I could reckon, about two miles,
Oaklands, to his great delight, had gained nearly a horse's length in
advance of me--a space which it seemed beyond my powers of jockeyship to
recover. Between us, however, and the tree he had fixed on as our goal
lay a small brook or water-course near the banks of which the ground
became soft and marshy. In crossing this the greater weight of man and
horse told against Oaklands, and gradually I began to creep up to him.
As we neared the brook it struck me that his horse appeared to labour
heavily through the stiff clay. Now or never, then, was my opportunity;
and shouting gaily, "Over first, for a sovereign--good-bye, Harry," I
gave my horse the spur, and, putting him well at it, cleared the brook
splendidly, and alighted safely on the farther bank.

Determined, if possible, not to be outdone, Harry selec