. The other horses and riders had scrambled to their
feet, and the mind of the crowd was relieved. They broke into a great
shout of laughter as the rider of the brown deliberately rode the horse
back.

"You are going the wrong way!"

"He 's going to meet 'em!" they shouted, derisively.

Even the gentlemen about the young girl of the white hat in the club box
who had backed the brown horse could not help joining in.

"Now, Miss Catherine, where are you?" asked Mr. Newby. "Will you allow
that I can pick a horse better than you? If so, I 'll let you off."

"He pulled him out to avoid striking those other men," declared the
girl, warmly. "I saw him."

"Oh, nonsense! Who ever heard of a man pulling out in a steeplechase to
avoid striking another horse? I have heard of a man pulling out to
avoid killing his own horse; but that boy pulled out because his horse
refused. That horse had more sense than he. He knew he could n't take
it. Hello! what 's he doing?" For young Johnston, his face set hard, had
turned his horse and headed him again toward the jump. At that moment
the other horses were rising the slope on top of which was the next
jump, and the brown caught sight of them. He had appeared till now a
little bewildered; but the effect was electrical. His head went up,
his ears went forward; a sudden fury seemed to seize him, and he shot
forward like a rocket, while the crowd on the other side of the track
hooted in derision.

"By Jove! He 'll go down if he rushes like that," cried the men in the
box. But he did not. He hardly appeared to see the fence before him any
more than he heard the jeers of the crowd. With high head and pointed
ears, he dashed at it, taking it in his stride, and clearing it with a
mighty bound.

The crowd in the stands, carried away, burst into a storm of applause,
and the gentlemen about the young girl of the big white hat clapped
their hands.

Old Robin, down in the paddock, was shouting and talking volubly to a
crowd of strangers.

"He 's a jumper! He 's got de pedigree. Dat 's blood. You ain' see my
old master's hosses befo'."

"Your old master's horses!" growled a gruff voice behind him. "You made
me lose fifty dollars on yer blanked horse wid yer blanked lies. You 'll
pay it back or yer won't see that watch ag'in."

Robin glanced at the angry pawnbroker, but he did not have time to argue
then. The horse galloping up the long slope before the stables engrossed
his attention. He si