THE GREAT FOUR-MILE DAY. 295 



the bltick's |»roxiiuity, but alvdutely trailed him the 

 whole of the fir.st mile. On entering the second, either 

 through mortified pride, or more positive malice, both 

 the jockeys were ordered to go ahead of the scrub. 

 Spurs were put in requisition, and the flagged and worn 

 horses got by the pony before they came into the back 

 stretch. After shaking off their ignoble competitor, they 

 relapsed into the stinted stride they set out with. But 

 Jesse now had become enamored of the frontj and on he 

 urged the pony, who, nothing loth, crawled up to them, 

 and came round the quarter stretch neck and neck with 

 the foremost. 



In the straight work, first one and then the othei 

 gilded by him. But these fits and starts in running 

 could not avail against a steady pace. " Boots " would 

 come up with them, and at every subsequent attempt it 

 was becoming palpably more diflScult to part company 

 with him. 



On onterhig the third mile, Epaminondas was evi- 

 dently lame, and when he tried to widen the distance 

 between him and ^^ Boots'''' on the back stretch, gave up: 

 the little Uack went by him for good, and a shout of 

 applause arose, that had wellnigh made old Entellus's 

 sceptre tremble in his grasp. 



The contest was now narrowed down to " Boots " 

 and Blimncrhassctt, — and neither of them had won a 

 heat. 



The four gentlemen who entered the pony, imme- 



