The woods were cleared.  It was good to leave their muffled dampness for the pure sunshine of the crest.  On the very top of the hill clean-cut against the sky stood a great wind-misshaped pine.  At the foot of this pine was a bank of fresh earth and Gething knew that beyond the bank was the trench.  He bent in his saddle and pressed his forehead against the warm neck.  Before his eyes was the past they had been together, the sweep of the turf course, the grandstand a-flutter, grooms with blankets, jockeys and gentlemen in silk, owners’ wives with cameras, then the race that always seemed so short—­a rush of horses, the stretching over the jumps, and the purse or not, it did not matter.

He straightened up with a grim set to his jaw and gathered the loosened reins.  Cuddy went into a canter and so approached the earth bank.  Suddenly he refused to advance and again the two wills fought, but not so furiously.  Cuddy was shaking with fear.  The bank was a strange thing, a fearsome thing, and the trench beyond, ghastly.  His neck stretched forward.  “Heh, heh!” he blew through his nostrils.

“Six steps nearer, Cuddy.”  Geth struck him lightly with his spurs.  The horse paused by the bank and began rocking slightly.

“Sist! be quiet,” for they were on the spot Gething wished.  The horse gathered himself, started to rear, then sprang into the air, cleared earth-mound and trench and bounded down the hill.  The tremendous buck-jump he had so unexpectedly taken, combined with his frantic descent, gave Gething no chance to get control until the level was reached.  Then, with the first pull on the bridle, he realized it was too late.  For a while at least Cuddy was in command.  Gething tried all his tricks with the reins, the horse dashed on like a furious gust of wind, he whirled through the valley, across a ploughed field, over a fence and into more pastures.  Gething, never cooler, fought for the control.  The froth blown back against his white shirt was rosy with blood.  Cuddy was beyond realizing his bit.  Then Gething relaxed a little and let him go.  He could guide him to a certain extent.  Stop him he could not.

The horse was now running flatly and rapidly.  He made no attempt to throw his rider.  What jumps were in his way he took precisely.  Unlike the crazed runaway of the city streets Cuddy never took better care of himself.  It seemed that he was running for some purpose and Gething thought of Willet’s often repeated remark, “Look at ’im—­old Cuddy, he’s thinking.”  Two miles had been covered and the gait had become business-like.  Gething, guiding always to the left, was turning him in a huge circle.  The horse reeked with sweat.  “Now,” thought Gething, “he’s had enough,” but at the first pressure on the bit Cuddy increased his speed.  His breath caught in his throat.  There was another mile and the wonderful run grew slower.  The man felt the great horse trip and recover himself.  He was tired out.  Again the fight between master and horse began.  Cuddy resisted weakly, then threw up his beautiful, white-starred face as if in entreaty.