126 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



over the St. Paul track, wMch fact seemed to mollify the 

 populance to a large extent. Of course, this mile was too 

 fast for a warming up heat, and not fast enough to beat 

 2:14, thereby diminishing my chances of doing it. The next 

 mile I again essayed to beat Hopeful's record, but failed, 

 finishing the mile in 2: 15 J. The crowd by this time had 

 Avorked itself into good nature, and were willing to cheer 

 and shout as hard and as long as they could. When I took 

 Rarus back to the cooling shed, I told Barney and Dave to 

 take care of him and to cool him out; that I would drive 

 him an easy mile in the third heat, as I was not going to 

 try to beat Hopeful' s record. If I had reduced their wages 

 the boys would not have felt half as badly. They could not 

 bear the thought of Hopeful's 2:14|, and said so. Dave 

 suggested that we cool Rarus out and get a runner to go 

 with him, as he felt sure that under those circumstances he 

 would do the trick. To satisfy the boys, more than any- 

 thing else, I consented to this arrangement. When we 

 came out in the third heat the wind had lowered. I had a 

 man run a scraper round the track, and when the judges 

 said go, and Rarus and the runner started on their mile, the 

 crowd gave a cheer that I have never forgotten. The horse 

 went straight from start to finish, and trotted the mUe in 

 2:14J, beating Hopeful' s record by a quarter of a second, 

 and showing three heats better than the best he had gone at 

 St. Paul, thereby making every man, woman, and child in 

 Minneapolis sleeplessly happy, and my friends for life. 

 For the balance of the week, they loaded Rarus and myself 

 with flowers, bouquets, and everything from a tooth pick to 

 a fly -back watch. 



From Minneapolis I made a circuit of the country, giv- 

 ing exhibitions at Dubuque and Kansas City, and from 

 there went to St. Louis, where I staid two weeks, and 

 was obliged to show Rarus under a tent, as the track was 

 not large enough for him to exhibit on. In the meantime a 

 race had been arranged by the Chicago track, between 

 Rarus to wagon. Hopeful in harness, and Great Eastern 



