for the point of scrub and ridge which comes down on to the flat a little in front of them. The counter-move to this is that Maggie, pushing her horse to his fastest, draws up on the left flank. Then the leading mare, turning, determinedly increases her lead, till dashing into the point of scrub, barely a length in front of her pursuer, she crashes into the thickest of it and disappears in a cloud of dust.

A precious good riddance,' thought the girl; for she could somewhat slacken her pace, as she was actually ahead of the mare now leading, who, baulked of following her leader, turned somewhat abruptly to the right and made for the opposite side of the creek. How they all crashed into the channel bed! Five hundred guineas stumbled in, rolled on his back, got up like a cat, and was with his companions in a moment. One old sinner, a mare who had led many a wild dance, uttered a plaintive whinny as she found herself unable to move with her stifle out.

Jeanie's turn now. Her wheel,' neatly and judiciously made, straightens up things; and once more down the flat in the right direction thunders the chase; three miles are done, and the pace slackens somewhat. The wheels' which from time to time have been taken have rather exhausted the pursued than the pursuers, for a short period of comparative rest falls to the lot of each horsewoman while the other is turning the mob.' But it is felt that the fugitives are nursing themselves for a fresh effort, and this is soon proved to be the case.

A well-known 'beat' leading up to a 'gap' in the distant range becomes the object point of the leader; to secure this she increases the pace, and at another narrow point, where the ridges come in on the flat, doggedly they enter the brigalow scrub. A momentary advantage of thick stuff' puts Maggie, on whose side the attempt is being made, in the rear, and the horses now head from north (which was their right direction) to west. The situation is serious, but the rider has a good ally. The scrub crashes behind her, and she looks round to see her sister at her heels, while, further back, the little black boy, desirous of immortality, is pounding away in his endeavour to keep up.

No one who has not ridden through scrub after a 500-guinea prize can tell the excitement. Who recks of scratches or blows? Who cares for risk of death? For the risk of death, if your head were even of cast iron, and your limbs of steel, is present when you drive a thoroughbred horse at full speed through the tangled scrub.

Each girl's hat is packed away somewhere, and their hair has

come down, threatening to convert them into 'Absaloms.'

has lost a legging, and the other shows a white shoulder through the torn bodice of her dress.

And thus the struggle for victory goes on; now one party and now another gets the advantage, as the scrub favours the one or the other. Finally, the determination of the riders, and the courage they inspire into their mounts, begin to tell. Riding behind one another, they have opposed a successful barrier to the movement westwards, and the course is altered to south-east; soon, crashing down a stony ridge as though the stones were feathers, they breathe again as they emerge once more on the flat, and at once resume their old positions and course.

Thus they had covered six miles. Two more yet remained.

Signs were not wanting that all concerned had had enough of it. Hengist and Horsa, own brothers, by Harold (imported), on which the twins were mounted, showed by their heavy breathing that the pace had been terrific, even under the light weights which they carried. The wild horses went sullenly along. Old Pilgrim, to whom years of luxury had added a corporation and a figure not made for racing, had had enough of it, but felt, as a thoroughbred feels, that he must die rather than give up.

But the pursued were only biding their time, and nursing themselves for the final effort. They felt, when a mile or so from the yard, that it was now or never,' and straightway, as if new life were implanted in them, they tore on in a final dash for liberty. Hengist answered to his mistress's call, and neck and neck again the chase, at what was, however reduced, their top

speed, rushed down the flat, the pursued boring over once more to the left, as they covered the heavy ground.

Alas! when victory seemed so near! No gain can the noble Hengist make on the flying squadron. No help can his brother, whose rider sees his plight, afford; no, the gain is the other way, for the wild horses are increasing their lead. Deep mortification settles in the hearts of the girls. Despair! To be beaten thus on the post! And such a prize !

But, hark! a sound behind. That of a horse galloping strong. A cheer a hearty voice, 'All right, ladies, leave him to me!' and past them, as an express passes a dog-cart when the roads are parallel, shot a horseman. He was superbly mounted, as George Williams always was, for both the girls recognised him at once. With what joy did they see him, with plenty in hand, gallop up to the leader and turn her and her following down towards the coaches, which were now in sight! then, when she made a spurt in the other direction, up he went on the other wing and straightened the course again. With what delight did they examine the catch five minutes after, safely imprisoned in the yard! And what mutual explanations followed! How, when George heard of their loss at White Valley, he had thought of the 'Brumbies,' and determined to go over and see if Pilgrim was not there. And then followed blushes and excuses when they remembered their costumes; but George was sworn to secrecy, and the holland skirt making its appearance, they returned in triumph to the station, leading Pilgrim between them for the last mile, for George would not touch him when they got near home.

And old MacIntyre came out on the verandah when he saw them, and positively wept, though his tears were the tears of whisky. But he wept none the less, and boasted about the horse, and boasted about the girls, and said they were worth all the, so-called, men he had got on the place: which, of course, was very unfair, and he wouldn't have said it if he had not been in the condition he was.

Nor would he have said, what of course was in shocking bad taste (as George had never even alluded to it), that George might have his blessing and either of the girls; that he had always liked him, and had in fact loved him, and they could have old Pilgrim as his wedding present (and I don't know how much more he would have added, though, from what I know of him, he would soon have been alluding to the christening), but having got as far as this point, he found he was addressing the lounge chairs, the water bag, and the parrot on the verandah; he there

fore finished his speech by comments on the ingratitude of daughters, drawing lurid comparisons between himself and King Lear.

And which sister did George marry? You shall hear. If he had felt as I did, he would not have married either; for I never could make up my mind which I loved the best.

NO. XVII. VOL. III.

literary parent, the ublication of the that is to say,

we

terested in what may be described as its 'Badminton Library,' I may here note the twenty-eighth and last volume of the series last, et t be absoaccording to present arrangements. Why it may neth: some lutely the last I have explained in a preface to the boo new sport may suddenly spring into popularity, and tha should have to add a twenty-ninth volume to follow The Pot of Sport.' As for that book, it would not be becoming on my pa to write anything in the nature of a review; but I may perhaps be allowed to draw attention to the multitude of poets and versifiers on whose work contributions have been levied. If the reader looks at the index, and considers that for one poem that has been included at least a hundred have been rejected, he will perceive that no light task was undertaken in this compilation, and will understand what an enormous number of volumes have been searched. As a matter of fact, I may add that Mr. Hedley Peek's selection included about as much again as is given in The Poetry of Sport' volume; but there were reasons why the book could not be allowed to extend beyond a certain length, and so the matter first chosen had to be very carefully looked through again. We thought of two volumes, as in the case of Fishing,'

oting,' 'Big Game,' and 'Yachting;' but it was not con

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