LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 47 



judges that I had fouled hhn in going around the turn. 

 They allowed his claim and gave the heat to H. C. Hill, who 

 finished second to me, and placed me outside, the time 

 being 2:29^. I hardly think the judges intended to do me 

 an injury, but am still of the opinion that they decided 

 wron'gf ully, as I was sure then, and am yet, that I did not 

 interfere with Mr. Green in any Avay. There was a great 

 deal of money on the race, and a great deal of outside 

 influence brought to bear, which I think may have affected 

 the judges' decision to a certain extent. Mr. Simmons said: 

 " Sit still; we will beat her yet." 



The race had now got to a place where three horses had 

 two heats apiece, and in the two heats trotted on the second 

 day, Magnolia and another had been distanced, reducing 

 the field to five. When .scored for the deciding heat I was 

 well up on the outside, and Mr. Simmons and myself had 

 decided that we had better trail away and make the fight 

 after we had got into the stretch. When the judges said 

 "go," Hill and Nashville Girl went out in front. Bella 

 went away at a good stiff pace, and I kejot her well in hand. 

 As we moved down the back stretch the others had a lead 

 of about four lengths. She closed uj) half that distance on 

 them as they passed the three quarter-mile ]30st. ^Yhen we 

 turned into the stretch, Nashville Girl had the i^ole, Hill 

 on her wheel, and Bella next. There was a hard, smooth 

 path on the extreme outside of the track. I took Bella over 

 there and set sail for the heat. She gained on them, but 

 very slowly. At the distance stand, it seemed to me that 

 she was head and head with them. Green rallied his mare 

 and she out trotted Bella again for about fifty yards. Once 

 more Bella got on even terms with her, and struggling on, 

 beat her to the wire by a head in 2: 30 J. Tlius ended the 

 first real battle in which a horse and sulky were my weapons 

 and my opponents some of the foremost drivers in the land. 

 I, boylike, of course felt correspondingly delighted, and 

 received a great many compliments, but the two that i)leased 

 me most was one from my employer, Mr. Simmons, in which 



