LIFE WITH THE TROTTETiS, 131 



Association generously offered $5,000 to be trotted for, 

 entrance free. I concluded to work Rarus along mode- 

 rately, start him a race or two, and see whether or not he 

 would stand up. I did so, and started him the first race at 

 Jackson, over a half-mile track, where he went an exhibition 

 in 2:20^. Two weeks later I went to Toledo, Ohio, where 

 Rarus trotted in 2:20, and then I notified Colonel Conley that 

 I would be able to start on the 24tli of July in Chicago. 



At this time I had not trotted Rarus at his best s^Deed, 

 nor did I think he would be fit to beat Hopeful in the race, 

 but, rather than disaj)x>oint the association, I was willing to 

 take the chances and trot him. As it turned out. Earns im- 

 proved faster than I thought he would, and won an easy 

 race from Hopeful in Chicago, in 2:17|, 2:21, and 2:18. There 

 was a big attendance, and a good deal of betting on the race. 

 The following week he started against Hopeful, at Cleveland, 

 and beat him in three straight heats, trotting the third mile 

 in 2:15, which was the best of the race. At Buffalo, he went, 

 in an exhibition, in 2:18, 2:14f. By this time, Rarus was 

 back to his old form, and, at Rochester, August 14, in a 

 gale of wind, he trotted three heats in 2:17J, 2:1G, 2:13^, the 

 last mile being within a quarter of a second of his best record. 

 When he came to go this mile, there was a good deal of 

 betting on the time, with very long odds that he would not 

 beat 2:14. I never knew his owner, Mr. Conklin, to jmt a 

 dollar on him, or buy a pool ticket, always leaving that part 

 of the business with me. This day, however, he heard some 

 one say he would bet a hundred to ten, that Rarus would 

 not beat 2:14. After I had gone the first two heats, the 

 weather became very bad, and I concluded not to drive him 

 another mile, and so stated to the boys, whom I ordered to 

 take him to the stable. About this time, "Pap," as we 

 called him, came along, and told me what he had done, 

 namely, that he had bet that Rarus would beat 2:14. I told 

 him I had not intended to trot another heat, and wished that 

 he had not bet the money. He said: " That does not make 

 any difference. Don't drive him unless you feel lilve it. 



