elt more than confident that the race was mine. But you never can tell.
He came to the wall. He had to shorten his stride in taking it, which
made him squirm more than usual. I felt something go; it was my left
stirrup leather. The clip holding it to the saddle had been left open,
and the wrench of my left leg as Albatross jumped had pulled the leather
out. I managed to keep the stirrup iron hanging on to my foot with the
end of the leather trailing on the ground as we galloped on. I had hopes
I might recover the leather, and by holding on to it with my left hand
make some use of it. It was not to be. In my efforts to pick up the
leather I had to slow Albatross down. This enabled the other horses to
close up to me. There was only one thing to do--let the stirrup go and
set Albatross sailing again. This I did. At the next fence--a stiff log
one--I was nearly jerked clean off. I had forgotten I was riding with
only one stirrup, and, as Albatross swerved in jumping, I all but fell
off on the near side. It struck me that if I did not get rid of the other
stirrup I would probably be thrown soon, so I got rid of it. I now found
myself with about a mile and a half to go, some ten real stiff fences to
negotiate, and riding without stirrups. I quite well remember my memory
harking back for a moment to the old days of the riding school at
Woolwich when old Dan, our riding master, used to call out, "Cross
stirrups," and "Take care" and "'Old on." Well, it was a case of "'olding
on" on Albatross for the rest of that journey. It was soon over.
Albatross sailed along. I couldn't hold him, but kept in on the course.
Young Farr on Peter came after me. We raced together at the last fence.
Over we went; both landed safely, but I was beat. Farr, sitting
comfortably on Peter, led me past the post. The only consolation I had
was that I had not been responsible for saddling Albatross. My good old
friend Michael Morris, though he had lost his money, thought I had put up
a real good fight, and gave me a present of a handsome hunting-crop to
remind me of my ride on that good horse Albatross. We had a glorious
winding up to that day. The Hunt dinner at the club, a large theatre
party, and a dance. Indeed, I was glad when I got to bed at the end of it
all.

On the close of the hunting season followed the polo season. It was
arduous work to play polo in the heat of the summer, but it could not be
helped. The first polo ground was in the park lands