THE FOURTH HEAT. 441 



yards of the leader at the quarter, forty yards at the half 

 mile, and seventy at the three-quarters, when you can 

 drop the balance coming down the stretch, and pull up as 

 soon as you are inside of the reel flag. If possible, aid the 

 outside horse in getting the best of the send-off, and drop 

 immediately behind the leader. This will aid you in two 

 ways your own horse will be more likely to go easier, 

 and give the one that has not won a heat the chance to 

 commence the contest at once, without losing ground in 

 going around you. They are very jubilant over winning 

 this trick, and could hardly stop shouting when they knew 

 they had gained it. Never Mind, the advice is good not to 

 halloo till out of the woods, and they will find there is 

 some very tall timber to traverse before the clearing is in 

 view. Delay a little this time not enough to try the 

 patience of the judges, but sufficient to have them imagine 

 you are more anxious than you are to gain time. 



Upon my word, you did it well, and the horse dropped 

 back so gradually that it appeared as though he was too 

 tired to do more than save his distance, and speculations 

 were rife that he would be " shut out." He is not near so 

 much distressed as he was in the previous heat, and has 

 recovered wonderfully. Barring accidents, I would not 

 give five per cent, to be insured this race. He is now sell- 

 ing for a trifle in the pools, and we must deputise some 

 one to buy him in all of them, provided he can do it with- 

 out engendering suspicion. You attend strictly to cooling 

 him out. I will go and arrange the pool matter, and take 

 a look at the other horses. I will be back in time to give 

 him the wine. What a fall we could give these fellows if we 

 were only in prime condition so that we could give away 

 another heat ! Each one of them having won one, there 

 would be no danger to let them struggle again as they did 

 in this, and in the following one they could both the 

 distanced. 



