Time passed quickly, and already the death roll on both sides was terrible. Still Alan escaped unhurt, and Eve expected him home on short leave; his latest letter, however, gave no hope of this for some time, but he said he would make an effort later on when his horses were fit to run. He fixed up a match with Mr. Hallam for a thousand a side between The Duke and Southerly Buster, and Bandmaster and Rainstorm, the distances a mile and two miles. The Hunt Cup winner developed into a great stayer, and as he had a wonderful turn of speed he was sanguine of beating Rainstorm.
So many race meetings were abandoned that the Newmarket programs were extended to take their place in some measure, and the headquarters of the turf became very busy. Racing men were thankful for small mercies; the extra meetings were well attended and big fields turned out for the events.
Mr. Hallam was often at Newmarket, taking great interest in the work of his horses, and Wrench gave him encouraging accounts of their progress. Both horses came well out of their gallops with Catspaw and Bellringer, and the local touts were much impressed with them.
Rainstorm was voted a beauty; the Australian horse became popular and his portrait appeared in several papers, together with interviews with Bernard Hallam.
Ella Hallam spent much of her time at The Forest with Eve Berkeley and they were firm friends. Ella knew of Eve's engagement to Alan and heartily congratulated her. Whatever she might have thought about Alan's attentions to herself she never for a moment doubted his inclinations were toward Eve; being a loyal-hearted woman she accepted the situation.
Fred Skane came to Trent Park to see Sam Kerridge. They were cronies, had been for years.
"I suppose you'll win both matches," said Sam.
"Pretty sure of it. Bandmaster will beat Rainstorm anyhow whichever way the other goes," answered Fred.
"Queer Bandmaster should turn out a stayer," said Sam.
"But he's a Hunt Cup winner and I'd hardly have expected him to be up to two miles."
"Well he is--no mistake about it. I've tried him and I know," said the trainer.
"And you don't often make mistakes, Fred."
"I'm just as liable to be mistaken as other men, but when I've something to go upon I'm not far out," replied the trainer.