'Oh, God!' he blurted, snatched up Sun Dancer's reins and ran at the
slope dragging her after him. Dirk came out on the Crest with sweat
pouring down his face and soaking through his shirt. Saliva had dried
to a thick gummy froth in his mouth and he was panting harshly-but he
had held on to his lead and Sun Dancer was over her trembling fit. She
had recovered sufficiently to cavort a little as he mounted.
'This way, Dirk!' The two stewards standing on the pile of stones that
marked the Theuniskraal boundary were waving and shouting wild
encouragement. Dirk clouted the spurs into her and was off again,
galloping along the ridge, sweeping past them and on towards the clump
of gums three miles ahead.
'Catch him, Mike. Ride, man, ride!' Faint shouts behind him-and Dirk
knew without looking back that Mike had reached the top and was chasing
him. He rode on, grimly mourning the time lost on the ascent and
hating both Sun Dancer and Michael for it. At this point he should
have led by four hundred yards-not fifty.
Directly ahead now was the gorge through which the Baboon Stroom
dropped down the escarpment, its side choked with dark green river
bush. Dirk found the path and turned away from the skyline aiming
upstream at the ford. Without grass to muffle them Sun Dancer's hooves
hammered in staccato rhythm on the hard-packed earth of the path, but
also he could hear behind him like an echo the beat of other
hooves-Michael was on to the path behind him. Dirk looked back under
his own arm. Michael was so close that he could see the laughter lines
creasing the corners of his mouth, and the mockery inflamed him.
'I'll show him-l' And Dirk started with the whip again, cracking it
across Sun Dancer's flanks and shoulders so that she jumped forward
with a new urgency. Down the steep bank of the river and out on to the
white sandbank, he plunged with Grey Weather's nose drawing level with
his boot. Into the dark green water they rode abreast, throwing up a
veil of spray that sparkled in the sunlight, slipping from their
saddles to swim beside the horses through the deep, while the current
moved them down towards the falls. Up into the saddles again the
instant the horses found the bottom and splashed towards the far
bank.
Out on to the sand, with water streaming from sodden clothing, shouting
with excitement as they raced for the narrow path that climbed the far
bank. First man on to it would hold the advantage.
I I Give way! I'm leading-give me way,' screamed Dirk furiously.
'Make your own way!' Michael laughed back at him.
'You bastard!' Dirk used his knees and reins to thrust Sun J Dancer's
shoulder into Michael, tying to force him clear.
'None of that! ' Michael warned him.
'You bastard-I'll show you.'
They rode knee to knee now. Dirk sat up quickly and twisted his foot,
placing his booted toe under Michael's instep. With a sudden vicious
lift of his leg he slipped Michael's foot from the stirrup and threw
him sideways. As he felt himself going over i Michael clutched
desperately at the pommel, pulling the saddle with him so it slid on to
