LIFE WITH THE TKOTTEKS. 249 



them, as Paddy Dooley said, think that another Black Fri- 

 day was at hand. I myself had but very little confidence 

 as to Nobby' s winning the race. I knew that at the least 

 provocation he woidd break, and that would end whatever 

 chance he might have to beat Felix. The track had by this 

 time become soft and sticky, and with Nobby' s long, low 

 gait I considered that against him. They gave the word 

 and I went off with the lead. On reaching the back stretch 

 I pulled out from the pole about the width of the sulky. 

 Knap came along with Felix and tried to go through between 

 me and the fence. I didn' t make the S]}ace any wider just 

 then, so he had to pull out and go around me ; but he did 

 this, and at the half-mile pole was three lengths in the lead 

 and driving Felix for all there was out. When he turned 

 into the home stretch he pulled well out into the middle of 

 the track, thinking, as I imagine, that I would go outside 

 of him, but that was not my intention. I took Nobby in 

 close to the pole, and when he was straightened well into 

 the stretch gave him his head. The heavy footing did not 

 suit him, however, and he seemed willing to give it ux3. As 

 he had his ears full of cotton it Avas of no use to speak to 

 him, so I took the last dying chance and reached over and 

 touched him with the whip, not knowing what he might do, 

 but he staid on the trot, and at the distance stand again 

 had his head on Felix's wheel. Kna^) used his whij) and 

 voice the best he could and those who had backed Felix 

 shouted for him to come on. Both horses tired very badly, 

 and Nobby tried to break, but staggered out and won the heat 

 by a short head in 2:28|. 



The winning of this race pleased me more than all the 

 other performances with a trotter that I had taken part in, 

 and I want to record the fact right here. It may seem strange 

 to my readers, when they take into consideration the fact that 

 I have driven some of the best and fastest horses the country 

 has ever seen, that it should be such a gratification to me to 

 win a race with a horse I had no interest in, and with the 

 time as slow as 2:28f, but nevertheless such was the case. 



