THE DEAD HEAT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 140, 13 October 1870, Page 7

THE DEAD HEAT.

By Old Calabar.

(From "Baily's Magazine.") IN TWO CHAPTERS. — CHAPTER 11.

THE RACE.

"News for you all?" said the old Colonel of Fortescue's regiment, bursting into the mess-room, where some nine or ten officers were at breakfast, amongst whom were Lord Plunger and Bardon. " Here, Fortescue," continued the excited old gentleman, " this letter" — holding out one — " concerns you more immediately ; read it out."

The young man thus addressed took the letter and read the following : —

" Dear Colonel, — As you all know, this is the morning of the race. Something has happened; for Grod's sake ride over and see me at once. — Tours faithfully,

"P. O'Eooney." " Clough-bally-More Castle.

Friday morning."

"There, gentlemen, what do you think of that !" cried the Colonel, as Fortescue slowly folded up the letter and returned it to him ; " something in that — no race for a guinea."

" Eace or no race," said Lord Plunger, " the money is lodged with you ; it is a P.P. bet, and must be paid." " Mare gone amiss," put in Bardon. " I knew be was giving her too much of it. This is a hard, stony country ; horses won't stand such continued work. Poor brutes ! they are galloped shin sore — all the life and energy taken out of them — sweated to death, and made as thin as whipping-posts, and then they are called in condition. Serves him right."

" Hold, Bardon, my boy," interrupted Lord Plunder ; " you do not know that such is the case. The mare was all right last night, that I am certain of; she is six miles from here, at a Mr. Blake's. I am inclined to think O'Eooney has got in trouble.

" xVt any rate we shall soon know,' returned the Colonel ; for here is my horse coming round. I shall be back in an hour or a little more. I'll look after your interests, Fortepcue," he continued ; "it is only half-past 10 now. The race is not till 3. Curb your anxiety, and not too much sherry, Fortescue, till you see me again." And uttering this he took his departure.

What was up ? Was the mare broken down ? Was O'Eooney arrested ? it must be one or the other. It could not be about the stakes, for these were lodged to the Colonel's credit iv the Bank of Irelaud. What could it be then ?

" I cannot help thinking, Fortescue," said Lord Plunger, "that somehow or other you will have to don the new colours, doeskins, and tops, and give us a sight of your way of crossing the Gralway country." As he was speaking, one of the mess waiters came in and ?aid a few words to Fortescue, which made that gentleman im mediately leave the room. On reaching his quarters he found seated there a slylooking little man in a large drab overcoat.

"I beg your pardon," said the stranger to the young officer as he entered, "you know me, I think?"

Fortescue slightly inclined his head.

" The object of my coming," continued the sly-looking little man "is to tell you that there is a writ out against Captain O'Eooney for £400 ; he will not show up to-day. He is a Sunday man : now the race is ours — yours, I ought to bay — you will only have to go over the course. Grood morning."

But he was not allowed to depart in that way. He was soon in the messroom, and all were put in possession of the facts.

In the meantime the old Colonel rode on at a rapid pace, wondering at the contents of the note, and conjuring up all sorts of things. Five-and-t'wenty minutes brought him to the entrance gate, or what should have been the entrance gate, of Clough-bally-More Castle, but it was gone. Cantering up the neglected wilderness-like avenue, he was soon in front of a ruined-look-ing pile. Clough-bally-More Castle — the place is easier decribed by a quotation from Hood's beautiful poem of " The Haunted House"— Unhinged the iron gates hilf open hung,

Jarr'<i by the gusty gales of many winters, That from its crumbled pedestal hand flung One marble globe in splinters. ######

With shatter'd panes the grassy court was starr'd ; The time-worn coping-stone had tumbled after : And through the ragged roof the sky shone, burr'd

With naked beam and rafter." — A perfect ruin was Clough-ball-More Castle. Gretting off his horse and walking up the broken, moss covered steps, he rang the bell, which gave forth a hollow, melancholy sound that scared a colony of jackdaws who had established themselves unmolested for many a year in the chimneys and uninhabited rooms.

On the second summons a shock head was cautiously poked out of an upper window. "Sure now, it's no use at all, at all, ay yer ringing away like that: the master's gone abroad these six months : he tould me to say so last night. Divil a writ can you serve him wid, my honey ; ay ye don't be off the master will be after shooting ye for a thafe from the hall windy." "I'm no writ-server," l'eturned the Colonel ; " I come in consequence of a note I received from Capt. O'Eooney this morning."

"Troth, then, ye are the English soldier colonel. His honour the master will be wid ye at onst," and the head disappeared.

Presently that of the Captain protruded,

" See now, Colonel," said he, " ould Mat thought you was a server. I'm sorry to say I'm a Sunday man now," the thundering thieves they've been about the place all the morning to serve me. I wish they may get it. Nabocklish ! catch a weasel asleep : I'll let you in."

"In a minute or so the front door was slowly and cautiously unchained, and the Colonel found himself in the hall of Cloughbally-More Castle. It was a perfect ruin, and, if possible, more ghastly and miserable-looking in the inside than the outside. The Captain's room was, however, pretty cosy, and in decent repair. A bright turf fire burnt on the hearth ; a couple of guns adorned the walls ; rods, fish-ing-tackle, and various others sporting paraphernalia were stowed about the room in indescribable confusion.

"Be seated, Colonel," said the steeplechase rider, "I may as well come to the point. D — , of Gralway, has a writ out against my person for £400 ; they tried to serve it on me last night, and again this morning, the devil fly away with them ! May the flames of — "

" What is to be done, Captain O'Rooney?" interrupted the Colonel; you know it is a P.P. bet, and out of my power to do anything. Mr. Fortescue has only £250 on it ; the rest is made up by gentlemen who will insist on the terms of the bet being adhered to. You ridiculed mine and Mr. Fortescuc's offer of scratching the bet for a hundred ; far better for yourself had you done so. I should not like any advantage taken of you, and that you should have a run for your money; what is it you propose?"

" See, now, Colonel ; the only way is, that if you do not hold me to the day, we cau run it off on Sunday."

•' Sir ! Captain O'Eooney !" hotly interrupted the Colonel ; "you must be mad ! Hide a steeplechase on a Sunday ! Do you suppose, sir, any of my officers would be guilty of such a thing, or that I would allow it?"

" See, now, Colonel," interposed the Captain, " then there is no other way but Mr. Fortescue's letting me off altogether. I've £500 on it on my own account. I'll give a hundred and scratch it."

" Quite impossible," said the Colonel; you know I eau't do it. I am really very sorry for you ; but stay, there yet one way, and if I can manage it, the race may yet come off. D — , who has the writ out against you, does the wine for the mess ; now will you agree to this — that if you win, I pay him the £400 and the balance to yourself? If you do not win, you will then be exactly in the same position you are now, namely, locked up in your own house."

" Tear an' age." 1 , a capital idea ! Colonel, I agree ;" and it was forthwith signed and sealed between them.

" I'll send out to you in an hour," said the Colonel, as he took his departure. " 1 will write and tell you how it is to be, race or no race. Depend on me ; I'll do all I can."

The Colonel succeeded, and the terms he mentioned were acceded to by D., who thought it was the only chance of his getting a farthing.

" Hang it, gentlemen," said the lighthearted old officer, "we could have got the money without a race ; but I should not have liked it said of the — th that we took any advantage. Now, win or lose, all cannot but say but that we have behaved pluckily in this matter."

Such a crowd as there was on the road all the way to the hill of Thonabuckey, where a good view could be had of the race ! Cars, donkey-carts, wiry-looking horses with wiry and sporting squireens on them, crowded the road — all on their way to see the thousand-guinea steeplechase between the English soldier gentlemen and the famous Captain O'Eooney.

Such excitement, such running and jostling of the dirty unwashed to get along ! There was the old blind fiddler, Mat. Doolan, in a donkey-cart, and perched on the top of a porter-barrel, scraping away, and occasionally giving a song.

" Sure it's himself that can bring the music out of the instrument. He's the best fiddler in the west," sung out one. Then a chorus of voices would break in asking for various tunes and songs. " Arrah, now, give us ' Croppies lay down ;' ' Wreath the bowl,' " cried one. " Hell to the bowl, let' save c Tater Jack Walsh,' or ' Vinegar Hill,' " demanded a sturdy ruffian. " No, no ; ' The breeze that blows the barley,' ' St. Patrick's Day in the morning,' or ' Grarryoweu ' for me." " Begorra, no ; ' Larry before he was stretched' is my favourite' said a ragged urchin. " Hurrah ! here comes the Captain," bawled another ; and the dirty unwashed yelled as he passed in a tax-cart driven b} r a friend. " Death ! don't you know him ? Musha, why that one forenent ye in the whith caubecn and frieze coat. Troth, he's a broth of a boy ! devil a one in Ireland can bate him on Mad Moll across country ; sure he's an illigant rider."

" Hould yer noise, here comes Squire Grwynne, and the ladies in the coach, and the English soldier gentleman wid 'em. Agra! but he's a mighty fine young man is that same. Bedad,

it's Miss Alice that's looking swate on him entirely." It was true ; there was Charles Fortescue, of H.M. — th, going to the scene of action in the Nquire's waggonette, and sitting beside his affianced bride, the beatiful Alice Grwynne, witheight thousand a year the instant she married.

" Hurrow !" shouted the people as the carriage dashed past, " three cheers for the master of Grwynne ! And another for the lady !" They were in the humour to shout at anything and everbody. The course is reached at last : it is a circular one, and everything has to be jumped twice : hardly anything is to be seen but dark frowning walls Many cars and carriages have got down by the water-jumps. There is no end of youth and beauty. All the country elite are there lookers-on. A place has been kept for Mr. Grwynne, as also one for the waggonette of the officers. Eager spectators are scattered all over the coui'se, but the big wall and the two water-jump are the centre of attraction. The wall is a fearful one of six feet, built up of large loose stone?. The water-jump is also a pretty good one ; a little mountain stream has been turned on ; it is 15ft. wide, 4ft deep, and hurdled and staked from the taking off side.