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 He groaned; and then, to dull the sound, spoke loudly to the mare, And bade her never slacken in her speed: ‘For God’s sake take me home, lass, with a little time to spare! Five minutes, at the most, is all I need: Just time to catch old Dandy, where’s he’s munching second growth Of hay: just time to leap upon his back; And then the smartest trap who ever swore a lying oath Could never foot me down the River track.’

Sweetbriar pricked her ears, and shook a foam-flake from her bit As she heard his words, and doubtless caught their sense; And the rotten granite pebbles rattled round her as she lit On the homeward side the Rosedale bound’ry fence.

As they scrambled round by Locker’s Hill, Jack Corrigan looked round, And as he looked was filled with stern delight, For he saw the bald-faced chestnut struggling fiercely on the ground, Though the hill shut out the sequel from his sight. His triumph was but short, for, as he stemmed the wide morass,