Although  taken  completely  by  surprise,  his
presence  of  mind  did  not  forsake  him  ;  thanks  to  his  experience
in  the  hunting-field,  the  situation  was  not  new  to  him,  and
scarcely  had  he  glanced  round  ere  his  quick  eye  selected  the
point  at  which  he  should  effect  a  landing ;  guiding  his  horse  to
a  spot  where  the  bank  was  least  steep  and  abrupt,  he  waited
until  the  animal  obtained  a  precarious  footing ;  then,  encourag-
ing it  by  hand  and  voice,  he  lifted  it  by  the  rein,  and  urged  it
forward ;  there  was  a  scramble  and  a  slip,  then  a  more  violent
struggle  than   before,  and  the  Don  and  his  rider  were  once

2D


4O0  HARRY  COVERDALE'S  COURTSHIl'

again  high,  though  by  no  means  dry,  on  terra  firma. As  soon
as  he  could  find  time  to  look  after  his  competitors  in  the  race,
he  became  aware  that  both  had  cleared  the  brook  in  safety,  and
were  half  across  the  field  beyond,  Tirrett  some  twenty  yards
ahead — a  distance  which  he  kept  so  completely  without  effort,
that  Harry  at  once  perceived  Grey  Robin  was  beaten. That
Tirrett  thought  the  same  of  both  his  antagonists  was  evident,
from  the  easy  pace  at  which  he  was  going. In  order  to  accom-
plish his  rascally  manoeuvre  before  crossing  the  brook,  he  had
pressed  Black  Eagle  injudiciously;  and,  confident  that  both
the  other  horses  must  be  in  an  equally  exhausted  condition,  he
was  saving  him  for  the  final  struggle. He  was,  however,  wrong
in  regard  to  Don  Pasquale ;  true,  its  contention  with  its  rider
had  taken  for  the  time  a  good  deal  out  of  it,  but  the  last  act  of
that  affair  having  consisted  of  a  display  of  passive  obstinacy,
had  in  some  degree  refreshed  it ;  and  its  plunge  into  the  brook
had  also  exercised  a  beneficial  influence ;  so  that  Harry  per-
ceived, to  his  great  delight,  so  soon  as  they  resumed  their  course
on  the  farther  bank,  that  his  horse  had  plenty  of  good  running
still  left  in  it,  and  when  it  got  again  into  its  stride,  that  it  was
improving  every  minute. 