THE GREAT FOUR-MILE DAY. 287 



fore that time, and consequently he was set down as 

 " aged/' a tenu of scope and verge enough to satisfy the 

 most fastidious. But his pedigree ! There was the 

 rub. 



'' B(X)ts '' was an orphan upon the paternal side 

 from birth, and the mother's too, so far as any one could 

 say to tlic contrary. lie wa.«< wliut is called filius nul- 

 /us, or nobody's child, and conseijuently had a right to 

 claim any one for parent he thought fit. His owner 

 plead to be allowed to enter him as " a charity scholar,*' 

 but this could not be granted. At length a compro- 

 mise was made, and " Boots '' appeared upon the field 

 under the following imposing blazon and protection. 



"The Hon. J. L enters bl. h. ' Boots,' aged; by 



' T(ir,' out of a ^CujT^ mare, of unknown extraction." 



These preliminaries settled, the thoroughbreds were 

 saddled, and the saddle was taken off of " Boots " for 

 the contest. A negro lad who had ridden him as far as 

 the hou.se where I resided, and who was allowed by his 

 master to go to the races, as he had to wait till they 

 were over to take him home, was mounted upon him. 

 Great was the laughter of the crowd when the horses 

 were about starting. The pawing impatience of the 

 over-trained racers, attracted little attention. The 

 gaze of the multitude was upon the black pony. '•' Bltni- 

 ncrhassctf neighed, and ^'Epaminondas^' snorted, — 

 but all to no purpose. No one cared to look at them. 

 " Boots "' was like a Merry Andrew in a deep tragedy — 



