Boy ran second to Sir J. Hawley's Fernhill, 4 yrs., Ost, 13lb., for the Metropolitan Handicap of 25 sovs. each, with 500 added, &c., two miles and a quarter, Mr. Gordon's Borneo (then called Do-the-Boys), 3 yrs., 5st., third, and Mr. Griffiths' Hagley, 6 yrs., 6st. 4lb., fourth. Twelve others also started, but were not placed. . 5 to 2 against Peep-o'-Day-Boy, who was beaten by half a length. This was his only appearance during the year. In 1850, at Chester, ridden by A. Day, and carrying 9st., Peep-o'-Day-Boy was not placed for the Tradesmen's Cup. Won by Major Pitt's Mounseer, 4 yrs., 6st. Olb., Mr. Isaac Day's Cockermouth, 5 yrs., 6st. 10lb., second. Twenty-three others also started, but were not placed. At Ascot Heath, ridden by A. Day, he ran fifth and last for the Emperor's Plate, value £500, added to a weight-for-age sweepstakes of 20 sovs. each, two miles and a half. Won by Lord Eglinton's The Flying Dutchman, Lord Lonsdale's Jericho second, Lord Stanley's Canezou third, and Lord Exeter's Little Jack fourth. 7 to 1 against Peep-o'-Day-Boy. SUMMARY OF Peep-o'-DAY-Boy's PERFORMANCES. 155 In 1848, he started three times, won once, and ran second twice:Won the Tradesmen's Cup at Chester . . 2280 In 1849, he started once, and ran second. In 1850, he started twice without winning. He has started ten times, won three times, and run second four times .. .. .. ... £2510 During his sojourn in England, Peep-o'-Day-Boy has been located at Danebury, where we expect he has earned his living in more ways than one, being of no little service as a schoolmaster and trial horse. The stable have again accepted with him for the Chester Cup and the Metropolitan Handicap, at 8st. 10lb. in both, and in both, too, the top weight of the race. Up to the present, however, there has been no “fancy” for him. Lord Howth, the noble owner of Peep-o'-Day-Boy, is well-known on the English and Irish turf, not only as an owner of horses, but also as a most accomplished horseman-as certainly one of the best gentlemen jockeys that ever stripped for a race. BRO O K L ANDS; OR, BY LINTON. CHAP. III. " A horse! a horse ! a kingdom for a horse !" Behold the farm-yard of Barleycorn : for brevity's sake I will drop all aristocratic appellations. Reader, let your imagination fancy a poetical illustration of this rural spot : A milkmaid, with bright eyes and rosy cheeks, milking an Alderney, the perfume of whose breath (the Alderney's not the milkmaid's), together with that from the new milk, vying with the honeysuckle, which hangs in clusters around the rustic farm portal ; a splendid game cock standing, in pride of place, and as if really conscious of his pluck as his beauty, on some clean straw in the centre of several choice hens of the black Spanish breed, over whom he reigns by right of nature as by prowess ; some fine ducks, attended by a drake (fit subjects for a picture of Herring's) floating over the surface of a pond hard by, in which, their labour o'er, the farm teams allay their thirst and refresh their limbs ; on the one side of the yard are ranged the stables and corn sheds, on the other some splendid ricks, the centre as clean as draining-order and fresh dry fodder could make it. Now put your imagination into your breeches pocket, and your pocket handkerchief to your pose, as poor dear Bessy did, and practically view the case and the place, not as nature made it, but the will of man. In other days I have been led to fancy, and forsooth I do so now at times, that a farmyard was a scene where hens cackle, ducks quack, pigs grunt, and cows bellow and are milked ; but since our once-jolly English farmers have become grumbling Protectionists, all these pleasant fancies are vanished and obsolete ; and what were once pleasing spots of rural industry and beauty are now in many instances become simply large yards, for the making and deposit of manure. Such, then, was the scene we beheld : a vast accumulation of mud, mire, and manure; a dirty duck-pool ; and two still more dirty and dis.. consolate wallowing long-backed pigs. But our desire was the stable and its contents, not the yard and the piggeries ; and Bessy, nothing loth to see the river jumper, being well chaussée (or, in plain English, having a good pair of cork-soled boots—which all girls blessed with pretty feet should have in the country), followed Barleycorn, who led the way, apologising for the dirt, and of course declaring the weather, not he, was in fault. As we step across the yard my juvenile fraternity thus addresses me. “ Recollect, Fred, if he is truly the sort of horse our good yeoman asserts, we toss up for choice ; head's for Silvertail, tail's for the jumper." "Agreed,” said I, just signing the agreement with a brotherly slap on the back; which made him sing out so loudly, that, while Bessy screamed, Barleycorn, who had his hand on the stabledoor, threw it aside and rushed in ; as a gander I had unconsciously run against, actually assaulted me in the calf of the leg, and increased the confusion. Order being restored, we entered the stable such as it was " all in the rough,'' as Barleycorn truly asserted and We most fully admitted ; and there stood two nags—a strong-looking grey mare, and the undeniable Jumper. * Behold," said Barleycorn, “ look, Master Fred, you see a couple of harses ;' fit to carry the Duke himself. The grey's by The Pope out of Mr. Soapy Spongy's* own sister to The Cardinal by Wiseman ; a better mare never crossed a deep country with a heavy weight on her back. She has one fault, however-she rushes at her fences like a “mad bull," and requires a good steady hand, and a strong curb on her, to prevent her overreaching herself. And there, Miss Bessy, that's the *harse' Jumper ; gentle as a lamb, carry you as quietly as Brilliant -or Master Arthur either ; five-year-old and sound ; the best fencer in * Probably the present Mr. Spongy's father. all England ; came over from Ireland ; I bought him for fifty at the Bristol Bazaar ;” and, turning to me, he added, in a sort of halfwhisper, “ by Harkaway out of the Flying Dutchman's dam ; won two steeple-chases and a two-year-old stakes at the Curragh (“ Probably when he was there,” chimed in the youngest Etonian ; “And got those round legs in training,” I added). But Barleycorn took all this very good-humouredly ; for in truth, though poor the compliment, he was what is generally termed a goodnatured man. But Eton boys, devoted to field sports (as were all of the Western family, in fact it was in their very blood)-boys accustomed to ride to hounds as soon as they could cross a pony-boys who daily during the holidays, winter and summer, were accustomed to visit their father's well-filled hunting-stables, were not likely to be contented with a sight of the nags, standing half-clothed in a rough-looking stable. And Arty, doubtless to show his knowledge of horse-flesh, requested Mr. Barleycorn to lead forth the gallant steeds, in the following easy terms : “I will tell you what, Barleycorn: produce your Harkaway colt and the grey Pope mare from this somewhat-gloomy den to the light of day, and then you shall have my practical opinion both of form and sinew. Just put a snaffle first into the mouth of the chesnut, and trot him forth under this fine chesnut-trec ; I will throw my leg over him, and see if he can go.” “ Go!” said Barleycorn ; " he will carry your weight like a bird.”. Behold the gallant steed led forth! If memory fails me not, I will describe his general appearance. Fancy a rusty chesnut, without a white hair, standing five hands three inches, rather more than less; an admirable shoulder, with good flat head, open nostril, and brilliant eye, but placed on an awkward neck ; sides flat but deep, with hollow ribs ; long and low in the back ; good flanks, with an immense bangtail almost covering his ugly hocks ; with round legs, showing much work ; the fore ones standing somewhat apart, the toes inclining to the north and south ; take him, however, all together, he had the appearance of speed. But in truth I should have preferred to test the merits of that speed on turf or light fallow land, rather than on the road or in the heavy ; nevertheless, altogether he had the appearance of a steeplechaser far more than a hunter-at least such hunters as stood in the Western stables. Barleycorn, however, was highly conteuted with his prize. So while Bessy smiled at the idea of the animal's carrying her gently, Arthur nothing daunted, asked me to give him a leg ; and, being firmly seated, looked like a monkey on an elephant. And Barleycorn, rubbing his hands, declared for all the world that the jumper was the picture of his sire save his head, which was the Dutchman's, all over. And he can fly too, Master Arthur ; so just give him a turn round the paddock, to show off his paces to Miss Bessy.” “Agreed." At first he tried a walk ; but the jumper had as much idea of walking as a tailor with tight boots and corns : walking was evidently not his forte. Then came a trot, and with it a stumble, though the ground was as smooth as a carpet ; but this was the fault of the rider-so said Barleycorn-pot the harse. At last my young fraternity sat back, resolutely shook the snaffle, and away they went, though somewhat too fast, forsooth, for the size of the field, and I fully expected horse and rider would have gone over the five-foot wall which enclosed the mead from a deep lane, for he was evidently a puller of the first degree, and while the snaffle in his mouth was like a thread, the rider on his back was a feather. But that young rider had a heart, which has since faced a savage enemy at the head of a squadron of cavalry ; and a hand, though only that of a boy, which was up to the trick of holding a horse far better than many which could have lifted him from the saddle, and none shows the knowledge sooner than the animal ridden; so when within a few strides of the wall he turned him along its side, and then putting him straight at a flight of hurdles, which divided the meadow land from some penned-off turnips, went over like a swallow. Then, easing the jumper, he came over again across the grass land at a good gallop; and pulling him up as he approached us, threw himself from the saddle, saying, very coolly, “ He will do. He can jump : that's all I care." “ Can he ?” said Barleycorn, in an ecstasy ; “ I should say he could as well as any harse' in England. What did you think of that, Miss Bessy ; like a jump, warn't it, Mam? All bis legs over at once-high as a turnpike gate.” " Yes,” said I, “ he cleared them well ; but they were only hurdles, and I can jump them.” “Hurdles !” added Barleycorn ; “ indeed I'll put one on top of the other, and I warrant he clears them both." But the winter's day was rapidly closing. Bessy, with all her love for her brothers and of sport, was getting chilled by standing ; so, thanking Mr. Barleycorn for his hospitality, we proposed returning homewards. Ere we left, however, he good-naturedly intimated his wish that one of us should show off the jumper at the approaching meet ; adding, is that if the Squire saw him go, he would be soon in the Hall stables—and cheap at a hundred.” So it was agreed that Thomas the groom was to come up early on the Saturday morning and bring him down to Brooklands ; leaving us to arrange which brother should have the honour of riding him. And then, having gained our wishes, we bid Miss Arnold and Barleycorn farewell, and bastened on our way-taking Bessy between us, while Wasp led the van. There were only two days intervening between that on which this little vaudeville was played and the one on which the much-longed-for event was to come off ; and those who are ardent sportsmen can readily realize in their minds the delightful-I inay say all-absorbing, anticipations of pleasure which filled our young hearts. Young ! do I say ; when foxhunting is in the van? Bah! Wbat age, what profession, what station is free? To sovereign beauty mankind bends the knee. And so it is when sport is the question, more particularly the most exciting of all sports-England's true and unrivalled pastime--fox-hunting, With a flying fox in the van, followed by a gallant pack, if a Minister of State be one of the field for the time being, the affairs of the nation are as chaff before the wind in his imagination ; away and away, over hill and dale, over gate and brook, he leads or follows with the cager riders. The chieftain who has led armies to victory, cannot always lead a field of fox-hunters ; but his heart beats with an excitement and enjoyment in unison with him on the lusty cob, who goes as long as he can. Men |