TROTTING RACES. Ill 



were stuffed with cotton. Splan took "the last, 

 dying chance," as he called it. Running the risk of 

 a break, which would have been fatal, he leaned 

 forward and touched Nobby lightly on the shoulder 

 with his whip. The move was successful. Nobby 

 kept steadily to a trot, but, gamely responding to 

 the appeal, made one final effort, and fairly staggered 

 under the wire, a winner by a head. 1 Time, 2.28J. 



Thus ended a memorable contest. It was won by 

 the horse who proved himself the slowest trotter 

 and the worst breaker of the three competitors, — 

 won through his own courage and endurance, and 

 through the skill and patience of his driver. "But 

 who cares to see a race which falls to the slowest 

 horse? The race should be to the swift," is a com- 

 ment that might perhaps be made. Such a criticism 

 would be founded upon a false notion of sport. All 

 sports practised for the amusement of a spectator are 

 noble according as victory in them depends upon the 

 exercise of moral and mental qualities. The atten- 

 tive reader of Boxiana will conclude that, taking the 

 history of the ring as a whole, the fight was usually 

 won by the man who had determined that he would 

 not be beaten; and from this circumstance alone a 

 very fair argument might be made — how nearly 

 adequate need not here be considered — in support 

 of pugilism. 



In trotting races, for the reasons already stated, and 

 as is apparent from the illustrations that have been 

 given, there is a peculiar opportunity for the exercise 



1 Since the writing of this chapter, Nobby has been sold at 

 auction. He brought $2,000, and his purchaser, as the senti- 

 mental reader will be glad to learn, was John Splan. 



