cent bound like an
antelope the grey recovered the ground he had lost, and passed Bay
Regent by a quarter-length. It was a neck-to-neck race once more, across
the three meadows with the last and lower fences that were between them
and the final leap of all; that ditch of artificial water with the
towering double hedge of oak rails and of blackthorn that was reared
black and grim and well-nigh hopeless just in front of the Grand Stand.
A roar like the roar of the sea broke up from the thronged course as the
crowd hung breathless on the even race; ten thousand shouts rang as
thrice ten thousand eyes watched the closing contest, as superb a sight
as the Shires ever saw, while the two ran together, the gigantic
chestnut, with every massive sinew swelled and strained to tension, side
by side with the marvellous grace, the shining flanks, and the
Arabian-like head of the Guards' horse.

Louder and wilder the shrieked tumult rose: "The Chestnut beats!" "The
Grey beats!" "Scarlet's ahead!" "Bay Regent's caught him!" "Violet's
winning, Violet's winning!" "The King's neck by neck!" "The King's
beating!" "The Guards will get it!" "The Guards' crack has it!" "Not
yet, not yet!" "Violet will thrash him at the jump!" "Now for it!" "The
Guards, the Guards, the Guards!" "Scarlet will win!" "The King has the
finish!" "No, no, no, NO!"

Sent along at a pace that Epsom flat never saw eclipsed, sweeping by the
Grand Stand like the flash of electric flame, they ran side to side one
moment more, their foam flung on each other's withers, their breath hot
in each other's nostrils, while the dark earth flew beneath their
stride. The blackthorn was in front behind five bars of solid oak, the
water yawning on its farther side, black and deep, and fenced, twelve
feet wide if it were an inch, with the same thorn wall beyond it! a leap
no horse should have been given, no steward should have set. Cecil
pressed his knees closer and closer, and worked the gallant hero for the
test; the surging roar of the throng, though so close, was dull on his
ear; he heard nothing, knew nothing, saw nothing but that lean chestnut
head beside him, the dull thud on the turf of the flying gallop, and the
black wall that reared in his face. Forest King had done so much, could
he have stay and strength for this?

Cecil's hands clenched unconsciously on the bridle, and his face was
very pale--pale with excitation--as his foot where the stirrup was
broken crushed closer