C R E S C E U S , 2 J O 2 1/4 



tempted to make his drive and go around the leader in 

 the fourth heat, Bingen made a break and was barely 

 able to beat the flag, Cresceus winning in 2:12^. The 

 fifth heat proved to be the most exciting one of the race. 

 Off they went, with the crowd shouting for Bingen. 

 When the word was given Cresceus was at the pole, 

 with Bingen on the outside. Around on the back- 

 stretch Bingen broke and his friends threw up their 

 hands in despair ; he was out of it, they thought, but 

 the horse got his feet again. Along he tore and was 

 getting his position, when just coming into the stretch 

 he broke again, but only for a second ; he was on his 

 feet again, and down the stretch he swept. Cresceus 

 was all by himself, ahead of the bunch, trotting steady 

 and true in his sturdy way. The crowd began to 

 shout, Ketcham looked back over his shoulder, and 

 there he saw the muzzle of the brown stallion creeping 

 forward inch by inch. He touched Cresceus with the 

 whip, and Titer did the same to Bingen. Oh, such a 

 race ! Along the horses struggled, the wire only fifty 

 feet away, and Bingen gaining. Both drivers shout 

 and exert themselves ; they jerk and scream and ply 

 the whip. The horses struggle heroically, and in a 

 second they are under the wire, but Cresceus has a lead 

 of six inches. It was a gallant struggle, and right 

 nobly did the gallant son of Robert ^McGregor lower 

 the colors of Bingen, the pride of all New England. 



The heat was trotted in 2:1 if. For four out of the 

 five heats trotted Cresceus fought valiantly, and when 



43 



