46 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



the lead again. She was in front all the way for the first 

 seven-eighths of a mile; fi'om there home they had a horse 

 race, and Bella beat her in 2:31 by a head. It looked to 

 outsiders and myself as though we would have i^lenty of 

 time to trot out the race, but there was some delay caused 

 by scoring in another race, and Green being slow about 

 bringing Nashville Girl out on time when the horses 

 were called, caused our race to be postponed until the fol- 

 lowing day; Nashville Girl having won two heats and 

 made a dead heat with James Howell, Jr., and Bella two 

 heats. Effie Dean had been distanced in the first heat, Kit- 

 tie Cook dra\vn in the third, Reserve distanced in the second, 

 Harry Spanker and Ham]3ton distanced in the third, and 

 Young Rattler drawn at the end of the fifth, so that for the 

 finish of the contest next day there were left to start of the 

 once big field only Nashville Girl, H. C. Hill, Mack, Royal 

 George, Magnolia, and Howell. In the evening about the 

 hotel and i^ool-room there was a great deal of talk and excite- 

 ment over the race. Everybody was trying to hedge their 

 money in some way. Of course, it looked as though Bella's 

 chance was lost by the postponement. Mr. Simmons said 

 to me: " Take good care of our mare and try and bring her 

 out in good shape to-morrow. We have got a fighting-^ 

 chance, and we will take it." In scoring for the sixth heat, 

 Bella was inclined to be unsteady, and Nashville Girl 

 appeared to be able to out-trot her easily. When the word 

 was given, Nashville Girl went out mth the lead. In going 

 to the first turn Bella made a wild break and lost her 

 chance for the heat, and to me it looked as though the 

 race was decided, but about this time H. C. Hill, a horse 

 that had not before looked dangerous in the race, cut loose 

 after Nashville Girl, caught her about fifty yards from the 

 wire, and beat her out a head in 2:28|^. We got the word 

 in the next heat with Nashville Girl again in the lead. Hill 

 second, and Bella third. They went to the turn in this 

 position. Nashville Girl broke, but I went on with Bella, 

 winning the heat. After the heat, Mr. Green claimed to the 



