The brown horse came thundering by, steady and strong, his little jockey collected as himself, lying out over her horse's neck.
"The fences don't trouble her much," said Silver, his voice calm and heart beating.
"See, she's that strong," wheezed Old Mat confidentially. "You wouldn't think it, but there's eight stun o' that gal good. It's her bone's so big."
The brown horse had swept past them, going wide of the fences for the second time round.
Make-Way-There, who had been dancing on his toes away on the left as he waited for his cue, chimed in as Four-Pound-the-Second came up alongside him.
He settled down to his stride at once and took the lead.
The brown horse, entirely undisturbed by this new rival, held on his mighty way.
The two horses swung round the curve, on the outside of the fences, Four-Pound-the-Second on the inside berth and close to the quarters of his leader.
The horses dropped into a dip, but for some reason the echo of their hoofs came reverberating back to the watchers in ever-growing roar. When they emerged from the hollow and raced up the opposite slope they were still together.
Then they made for home.