78 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



drawn by Dexter in tlie fast drive by Mr. Robert Bonner 

 was 421 pounds, and in order to make this weight it was 

 necessary for Mr. Goodrich to put a large bag of sand on 

 the seat of the skeleton wagon in addition to the weight of 

 the driver, Mr. Johnston. It was perched on this piece of 

 baggage that Johnston, acting under Mr. Goodrich's direc- 

 tion and not by reason of his own judgment in the mater, 

 attempted to drive Bodine in 2:21^ over the Central Park 

 track in Chicago. 



The result was that the best mile the horse coukl show, 

 rigged that way, was 2:27, and the look of disgust that 

 came over Johnston's face at the finish was something 

 worth going a long way to see. After this trial Mr. Good- 

 rich gave up the idea of selling Bodine to Mr. Bonner, and 

 returned him to the turf, entering him in the free -to-all 

 race at Cincinnati. In looking over the sporting papeis I 

 saw an advertisement of this race, and, having nothing else 

 on hand, I sent on an entry for Rarus. 



On reaching Cincinnati we were surprised to find that the 

 track was a half-mile one, and our chance did not appear to 

 me to be very rosy, as I had been told that Rarus would not 

 perform well on a track of that length. The other starters 

 were Silversides, Bodine, Cozette, Elsie Good, and Monarch, 

 Jr. They were all Western horses, and considered good ones 

 over a half-mile track. Mr. Conklin was a little worried 

 for fear that something might happen to Rarus, but I' told 

 him not to fear. From what I saw before the race, it was 

 23lain that it would be the West against the East, and I, being 

 the only Eastern man, would be alone in the battle. I kept 

 a little track of the other horses in their work, and the 

 fastest mile that any of them went was one by Bodine in 

 2:2o|. I took Rarus out one clay and drove him the first 

 mile in 2:30. He seemed to take kindly to the half-mile 

 track, and in repeating him he stepped the mile in 2:27. A 

 good many people were there to watch him, as they had 

 heard about his performances, and were anxious to get a 

 line on him. About this time the dinner bell at the club- 



