Related article: man's general idea of a steeple- chase was two miles out and two miles in, and keeping ** the line quite dark," so he concealed men in the ditches with flags, which they raised at a given signal as soon as the riders were ready. 1900.] ANECDOTAL SPORT. 41 Other managers liked four miles straight; and after erecting a couple of scaffold poles with a couple of sheets to finish between, they left the Terazosin Hci riders to hunt the country for their line, with no further directions than — " Leave that church on your right and the clump on your left, and get to the hill beyond." The March of 183 1 saw the St. Albans steeplechase established in real form ; and the carriages and horsemen poured in so fast for hours that there was quite a block in the outskirts of the town. Tommy Coleman, in blue coat and kersey breeches, proclaimed mar- tial law among the riders that day. They saddled at his bugle call at the paddock of his inn, the " Chequers," came out of the yard three deep, like cavalry, and marched up the town. If their general caught any even peep- ing over the hedges he was down oa them at once, and declared he would sentence the culprits to ** run as a dead letter." Becher was mounted on Wild Boar, and was making fast for victory, when the horse jfell close to home, and was so severely injured that he died next day. The conqueror, Moonraker, who beat a field of eleven, had been bought out of a water-cart, his sinews quite stiff with work, for ;^i8. Becher had had one narrow escape of his life that day, but his dangers were not over. The demand for beds in the town far exceeded the supply, and Becher and his father had not long retired ^0 a double-bedded room when they were aroused by a furious Allocking at the door. '« Sir," said an angry voice, "you have my i^-room, and I insist on your vacating it at once." " I don't move out of this to-night," replied Becher. Order Terazosin Online " Then you are no gentle- man, and I shall insist on you giving me satisfaction in the morning." ••AH right," replied the sleepy steeplechase rider, not giving himself the trouble to pick up the card that was thrust be- neath the door. When Becher arose in the morning he had for- gotten all about this visitor, until, in the coffee-room, Buy Cheap Terazosin he was con- fronted by a round-faced little man, who inquired what he had to say for his conduct last night. The Captain quietly replied that he was ready to give the gentle- man — who was a lawyer — the satisfaction of punching his head, or blowing his brains out. Upon which Six - and - eightpence ex- pressed his intention of seeking a friend, and went hectoring away to Tommy Coleman, at whose inn the scene had taken place. ** Well, I'd advise you to let the Cap'n alone," said Tommy, with a grin. '♦ He chucked two men out of winder yesterday, and as for ex- changing shots with him, you're a dead man if you try that on ; why, bless 'ee, he's killed three men already, and if you go out with him the coffee won't be for you." There was a fading of the lawyer's rubicund complexion after that ; yet he still expiessed his intention of finding a second. He must have gone very far afield in his search, and, as Tommy said, *• Dang his eyes, he never paid his bill." There were times, however, when the Captain was Purchase Terazosin Online not parti- cular about the feathers. One winter's night he arrived at a country house unexpectedly. •• What the devil shall we do ? " the host exclaimed ; •' we're full up ; haven't as much as a shake- down to give you." *• Have you got an empty stall in your stables ? " the Captain asked. 42 BAILY S MAGAZINE. [Jani;art "Yes; but my dear fellow — ** *' All right, I am an old cam- paigner, and have made myself comfortable under worse con- ditions." And with a good truss of straw, and plenty of horse- cloths, ** the old campaigner " said he had a bed fit for a king. In the famous match between Colonel Charritie's Napoleon, a slow, half-bred horse, but a mag- nificent jumper, and Squire Os- baldeston*s Grimaldi, for a thou- sand a side, Becher rode N apoleon and the Squire his own horse. At St. Albans Napoleon had been nowhere against the *• clown " — but here was a six- mile course over a stiff country and the River Lem to swim. The Pytchley, of which the Squire was master, met at Dunchurch, and a regiment of scarlet coats hned the i^em side, which was the thirty-eighth jump and sixth from the hnish. Osbal- deston was not a good swimmer, the Captain was ; but when they arrived at the river both went in headlong, and disappeared. So long was the immersion that it was thought Napoleon would come up no more, but at last Becher's cap was seen, tl;ien his horse's ears, and the pair floated down stream. Napoleon fighting against it with all his might, yet upon landing he got the best ot it by a hundred yards, but he was fairly done up, and a wrangle ensued. A man was sent back to see if the Squire had gone the right side of the flags. ** You had 'better send for the Coroner for me," said Becher, whose teeth were chattering with cold. Ulti- mately the stakes were withdrawn, the two competitors rubbed down and dressed, when they went out hunting and got another ducking in the Lem. About the time of the match with Squire Osbaldeston Becher's connection with the famous horse Vivian commenced. Taken out of an Irish car, this animal originally belonged to Lord Vivian, and from him passed to Captain Lamb, who gave him the name of Buy Terazosin Online his former owner. When Osbaldeston challenged all the world with Cannonball, Becher had never seen Vtvian,..and came f.om Market Harboro' to ride Van- guard, but in the end he was put on Lamb*s horse. A saddle had to be borrowed, and stirrups and leathers to fit him to the exact weight. The finish was up a most tremendous hill, but Becher, by jumping a very big fence, con- trived to come up the incline on a slant, thus keeping more in his