A year had slipped by since William Grant's death, and the glorious Spring came round again; the river was bank-high with the melting of the mountain-snows, the English fruit-trees were all blossoming, and the willows a-bud.

One day the mailman left a large handbill, anouncing the Spring race-meeting at Kiley's, a festival sacred, as a rule, to the Doyles and the Donohoes, at which no outsider had any earthly chance of winning a race.
In William Grant's time the handbill would have soon reached the fire-place; he did not countenance running station horses at the local meetings.

Under the new owner things were different.

Charlie Gordon was spoiling for a chance to run Revoke, a back-block purchase, against the locals, and suggested it in an off-hand sort of way while reading the circular.

Hugh opposed the notion altogether.