At a distance it looked but a low hedge, but there was a deep dyke on the riders' side which would require no little skill to clear; and now, of course, the slightest slip would be fatal to either. "Don't look so bad now, does it, Franky?" said Trevor. "No," said the other between his teeth. "Look, how close they are. I couldn't have--bravo!" For the mare had run up alongside of her great competitor, and together they literally skimmed over the obstacle in front, and landing on the stretch of smooth green sward, raced for home. "King Dick!" "White Lassie!" "King Dick!" "White Lassie!" "White Lassie!" "White Lassie!" rose in a perfect roar, as first one and then the other head appeared in front, till, within a hundred yards of the stand, the white mare's head--neck--shoulders--half-length--whole length appeared in front of her competitor, and, amidst the frantic cheers of the crowd, she leaped in, a clear winner. "There," said Trevor, turning with a smile to Pratt, "what do--" He stopped short, and seemed to have tried to emulate the last hound of the mare; for at that moment, all excitement as she watched the race, Trevor saw one of the occupants of the barouche give a sudden start, and nearly fall over the side. The cause was simple, and was seen by Pratt at the same moment. Barney, of the omnibus, for the delectation of his friends, had, the moment the race was ended, raised his stick, reached over the heads of the crowd, and given the old gentleman a sharp thrust in the ribs. The result was a violent start, and, as we have said, the young girl was nearly precipitated from the seat upon which she stood. A hoarse roar of laughter followed the clown-like feat; and then there was a dead silence, for a fresh character appeared upon the scene, and Barney was stooping down shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness caused by a tremendous blow upon his bull-dog front. The silence lasted but for a few moments, dining which Richard Trevor caught one frightened glance from the lady in the barouche, and then there was an ugly rush, and he and his friend were borne down the slope of the hill. The crowd seemed bubbling and seething with excitement for a few minutes, during which the voices of Barney's friends could be heard loudly exclaiming amongst them; and the gentleman named, in whose eyes the tears had previously been gathering from the excess of his mirth, was borne along with the others, still shaking his head, and feeling as if the drops that collected had suddenly been turned to molten metal. "Come away, Dick; for goodness' sake come away." "My dear Frank, if you fill a vessel quite full, it begins to run over. This ungodly vessel has been filled full of the gall of bitterness to-day, and now it is running over." "But, consider--what are you going to do?" "I'm going to thrash this fellow within an inch of his life."