ate skin.

The last race involved some big fences, it is true; but then Kitty of
all people in the world was the last to be afraid of a stiff course.
It was not like her to keep her eyes turned away from the horses until
some one quite close to her said, 'Well, they 're over the water-jump
anyway,' when she suddenly raised her field-glasses, with hands that
were trembling a little, and kept her eyes fixed on the race. It was
going to be a close finish, most people thought, and as the horses came
round the farther corner you could, as the saying goes, have spread a
tablecloth over them. Toffy's horse closely hugged the rails and was
kept well in hand; while, of the two in front of him, one was showing
signs of the pace and the other had not much running left in him.
These two soon tailed off, when the favourite (dark green and yellow
hoops) came through the other horses and rode neck to neck with
Toffy's. It became a race between these two, and it was evident that
the finish was going to be a close one.

'Toffy's not fit to ride,' said the voice of a young man who would have
liked Toffy to win the race, although he knew better than to back him.
'He is as mad as ten hatters to have ridden to-day.'

'His weight is right enough,' said another manly voice, with a laugh;
'it's extraordinary how a man of his height can ride so light.
Christopherson 's a regular bag of bones.'

'I wish to goodness they wouldn't talk!' said Kitty suddenly under her
breath.

The two horses came on neck to neck to the last fence but one.

'By gad, he knows how to ride!' went on the masculine voice, 'but
Spinach-and-Eggs is on the better horse of the two.'

The ground was in splendid going condition and the two horses raced
over it. They could see Christopherson's face now, and Toffy was
smiling slightly, while the other man's teeth were firmly set. Their
two stirrups clanged together as their horses rose to the rails and
galloped on to the last fence.

And there, of course, Toffy's horse fell. It was not his fault; there
was a bit of soft ground just where he landed, his horse blundered and
fell, and the favourite rode past the winning-post, an easy winner.

The spectators in the grand stand could see Christopherson pick himself
up a moment later and lead his horse home; but there was one moment,
when the rider behind him took the last jump, in which for a fraction
of time it seemed more than possible that he might land on the top