292 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



who indeed required their attention more than ever 

 — for though they had not run more than half a mile of 

 the heat, that was enough to worst them terribly in their 

 jaded condition. And " JBoots,^^ too, fared better than 

 before. He was getting to be a feature in the race, and 

 a circumstance attending the betting made him noAV an 

 object of the greatest interest. 



After the dead heat, the betting began. The result 

 of that heat proved the horses to be so nearly of equal 

 speed and spirit, that great confidence was j)laced in the 

 representations of their owners, and parties belted as 

 they were partial to the one or the other of them 



It so haj^pened that no one seemed to take " Boots^'' 

 into the account in making bets, and by that very means 

 he had as much money depending upon him as either of 

 the other horses. 



Every one who proposed a wager, betted that either 



Dr. B 's " Pam " or J. H 's " Blan" would win 



the purse. 



Now the takers of such offers were ot course " field- 

 ers;" for they in fact betted, that the horse named would 

 not take their money, and consequently, if " Boots " won 

 it, they were as much gainers as though the nag they 

 relied upon had won it. Hence every bet taken was, in 

 technical term, upon " the field," though the party that 

 took it, might have forgotten at the time that there was 

 such a horse as " Boots.'''' 



It will be seen that a tissue of accidents first brought 



