THE EACE WON'. 443 



can win in either way, and would advise you, if you get 

 the best of the start, to adopt the first plan ; and 

 if you do not, you can follow the other. If you find that 

 you are likely to have the advantage in starting, get on 

 the very outside of the track, and strike a straight line for 

 the inside at the commencement of the turn. But be very 

 careful that you leave plenty of room for the other horses, 

 so that they cannot have a shadow of reason for entering 

 a complaint. When you get the track, ease him, as I have 

 directed before, and while you keep lead enough to 

 prevent them bothering you, there will be no necessity 

 for opening much of a gap. 



There, boys, you can cheer now, if you desire to do so, 

 though I always prefer to see people when victorious ex- 

 hibit no more excitement than they can help, and accept 

 defeat with the same equanimity. To you, my scholar, I 

 must offer my congratulations on the skill you have shown 

 in driving, when the chances of defeat appeared greatly 

 to overweigh those of success, following my orders when 

 another course might have looked better. You frightened 

 me at first by appearing a little nervous before you took 

 your seat in the sulky, though I saw you were as cool as 

 a veteran when you became engaged in the actual contest. 



The judges have announced a postponement of the 

 other trot, so one of the boys can go to the barn, and give 

 the Falcon half a pail of water and a little hay. Never 

 Mind will require and deserves the best attention. Scrape 

 what water you can from his coat, clothe him, walk a few 

 minutes, and bring him to the barn. Con, you go to the 

 house and get a couple of buckets of hot water. When 

 you have him rubbed dry, take both foot tubs and bathe 

 his legs from the knees and hocks to the feet, then put the 

 bandages on and walk him for ten minutes ; I will pre- 

 pare a mash. When the boy is walking him, give him a 

 sup or two of gruel, and allow him to pick a little hay out 



