Dick rides for a lord and stands in with a steward; The light of their faces they show him--his case is Prejudged and his verdict already secured. "But none can outlast her, and few travel faster, She strides in her work clean away from The Drag; You hold her and sit her, she couldn't be fitter, Whenever you hit her she'll spring like a stag. "And p'rhaps the green jacket, at odds though they back it, May fall, or there's no knowing what may turn up. The mare is quite ready, sit still and ride steady, Keep cool; and I think you may just win the Cup." Dark-brown with tan muzzle, just stripped for the tussle, Stood Iseult, arching her neck to the curb, A lean head and fiery, strong quarters and wiry, A loin rather light, but a shoulder superb. Some parting injunction, bestowed with great unction, I tried to recall, but forgot like a dunce, When Reginald Murray, full tilt on White Surrey, Came down in a hurry to start us at once. "Keep back in the yellow! Come up on Othello! Hold hard on the chesnut! Turn round on The Drag! Keep back there on Spartan! Back you, sir, in tartan! So, steady there, easy," and down went the flag. We started, and Kerr made strong running on Mermaid, Through furrows that led to the first stake- and-bound, The crack, half extended, look'd bloodlike and splendid, Held wide on the right where the headland was sound. I pulled hard to baffle her rush with the snaffle, Before her two-thirds of the field got away, All through the wet pasture where floods of the last year Still loitered, they clotted my crimson with clay. The fourth fence, a wattle, floor'd Monk and Blue-bottle; The Drag came to grief at the blackthorn arid ditch, The rails toppled over Redoubt and Red Rover, The lane stopped Lycurgus and Leicestershire Witch. She passed like an arrow Kildare and Cock Sparrow, And Mantrap and Mermaid refused the stone wall; And Giles on The Greyling came down at the paling, And I was left sailing in front of them all. I took them a burster, nor eased her nor nursed her Until the Black Bullfinch led into the plough, And through the strong bramble we bored with a scramble-- My cap was knock'd off by the hazel-tree bough. Where furrows looked lighter I drew the rein tighter-- Her dark chest all dappled with flakes of white foam, Her flanks mud bespattered, a weak rail she shattered-- We landed on turf with our heads turn'd for home. Then crash'd a low binder, and then close behind her