Horse racing was his greatest mania.

Few could manage a horse as he, and fewer still could own one faster than his favourite mare, Bess.

Quickly he rose to his feet with "Jove, Douglas, I feel angry with myself and everybody." "Then keep your distance, I beseech you," returned Captain Douglas, in his usual jolly manner.

"Listen for a moment and hear my scrape," said Howe.

"Down in the mess this afternoon we got talking,"-- "horse, of course," said the Captain--"yes, horse," said the former, "and got mixed up into one of the greatest skirmishes ever heard of.