A GREAT HORSE 



one before me to-day." This was the signal for great 

 laughing and cheering; Ketcham bowed and retired, 

 and went at once and mounted the sulky. 



The great crowd in the stand was extremely enthu- 

 siastic ; smart young society maidens, rosy-cheeked 

 and excited as on the eve of their own "coming out," 

 laughed and talked and at intervals clamored for 

 Cresceus, and heavy swells behind them talked learned- 

 ly of records and time and fast miles they had seen, 

 meanwhile anxiously and very often consulting their 

 watches and wondering audibly when Cresceus would 

 "have his go." Three times the champion scored down 

 to the wire, and each time Ketcham shook his head. 

 Mike The Tramp was galloping at his side. At last 

 Cresceus came with the speed of a wdiirlwind. \\nien 

 the wire was reached Ketcham nodded, and Starting- 

 judge Dunleavy said "Go!" and Cresceus went, and 

 Oh ! how he went ! The earth slid out from under 

 hirn like a band of brown ribbon. The dust, blown 

 fine by the smitten air, rolled back like smoke. Level 

 and true, he stretched to a very line, his flight as swift 

 and steady as that of a home-bound bird. The quarter, 

 :32. A thousand stop watches caught it, hurrah ! The 

 half-mile was negotiated in i 103. Here the runner 

 was seen to move up on even terms with the champ- 

 ion, and the spectators settled back to watch the grand 

 finish. "He'll do 2 :o6 sure," said the wise ones. 

 Around the upper turn the pair came like a team and 

 the "tickers" registered 1 135^ for the three-quarters. 



190 



