THE GREAT FOUR-MILE DAY. 295 
the black’s proximity, but absolutely trailed him the 
whole of the first mile. On entering the second, either 
through mortified pride, or more positive malice, both 
the jockeys were ordered to go ahead of the scrud. 
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 front, 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 other 
glided 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 difficult to part company 
with him. 
On entering the third mile, Epamznondas was evi- 
dently lame, and when he tried to widen the distance 
between him and “ Boots” on the back stretch, gave up: 
the little d/ack 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 Blannerhassett,—and neither of them had won a 
heat. 
The four gentlemen who entered the pony, imme- 
