ThelBrook 



try ! He had almost forgotten what it looked like. 

 A dog raced madly toward the train, — pursued 

 it barking. A factory came next, one entire wall 

 covered with huge letters in black and white 

 recommending a well-known "morning after" 

 drug; then a corn field, a meadow, a silver brook, 

 a post-and-rail fence, a ditch, an abandoned race- 

 track, the grand stand tumbling, grass growing 

 in the unused track. Striving noticed that a 

 scrub game of football was in progress in the 

 ellipse where once a steeplechase course had 

 flourished. His face clouded; he had loved the 

 sport once. He had done it well they said. It 

 was the only thing Striving thought that he had 

 ever done really well. 



The speed of the train increased. It passed 

 rumbling over a trestle straddling a small stream. 

 On the opposite bank leaves were burning. They 

 made a great glare even in the morning light. 

 Striving watched indifferently. He was think- 

 ing of the Surrogate Court of Appeals. In a 

 meadow ahead he saw a mare and foal drinking at 

 a tiny stream of clear water, who suddenly, as 

 the roar of the train reached them, tossed their 

 heads high and went galloping off, nostrils dilated, 

 manes and tails flying. Striving imagined he 

 could almost hear the thoroughbred snort of 

 mingled fear and rage. The mare and foal were 

 59 



