e round of the course over four or five intermediate
banks.

"Here they come! there's Blake leading. What a stride that horse has!
but you'll see he'll die away now. Larry's second--no, George is
second, but Larry's well up."

"Faith, and he's been down too--he and the mare. There's Playful, how
she pulls--where's Brickbat? now then!"

And the Galway horse came at the big fence--Blake pulling him off
a little as he came to it, then stuck his spurs into his horse's
flank--gave a lift at his head, and threw his left hand to the tree
of the saddle. The horse gave a terrific leap on the bank--paused for
a moment--and clearing the second ditch, came down safe on his legs
with a shock that seemed to shake the field.

"Hurroo! well done! beat that George--now for Brown Hall; no, by
Jasus, little Larry's next,--now, Larry, the Virgin send you safe
over!" The mare with the light weight on her back made nothing of
what seemed in the horse so tremendous a jump, and without losing her
running, skimmed on to the bank and off it, and collared the horse
before he had regained his stride.

"Good luck to you, masther Larry, it's you that can ride. Hurroo
for the Kellys!--Oh, by the holy, they're both dead!" This last
exclamation referred to Conqueror, who had come up to the fence
much heated, but at a great pace. George, never attempting to pull
him off, or give him a moment of breath, using his whip and riding
forward over his horse's neck, hurried him on. The gallant brute
leapt with all his force, but not being able to master the height,
breasted it violently, sending his rider a dozen feet into the next
field, and falling himself into the ditch, his head on to the field,
with a broken heart, and dead! George, however, was soon on his feet,
for his head was hard and he was used to tumbling.

Before he was on his legs, however, up came Playful, awfully
rushing, her neck out--her nose forward--her nostrils open--her eye
eager--covered with foam, but showing no sign of fatigue, nor any
further inclination to baulk. Gayner was sitting her beautifully, not
attempting to hold her, for he knew that if he stopped her, whipcord
wouldn't make her run again; but with a firm, steady pull on her
mouth--his hands low, and both on the reins, and his legs well tucked
in. There she came, on at the leap without easing her pace for a
moment, and going over the carcass of the dying animal, cleared it
all, bank and ditches at one leap--two and th