332 THE LUKE LIGHTWOOD LEGACY. 



floated before the eye. The distant low of cattle, and 

 the musical chant of water-fowl, winging their way 

 toward the Mexican Gulf, fell with wild sweetness on 

 the ear. 



One great point in a quarter race is in "getting the 

 bulge/' as it is termed ; that is, the foremost start 

 when the word "go !" is given to begin the race. The 

 rapidity with which the race is run, and the ad- 

 vantages to the horse gaining it, makes this a matter 

 of prime consideration. The fast starter is a man of 

 more importance, perhaps, than either trainer or rider. 

 On the occasion I am relating, "Greek had met Greek" 

 in the persons of Col. Pierch and Keeno Cook, who 

 were considered by their respective friends to be 

 twenty feet faster than any men known in Texas. 

 Long after the judges at the start, to decide which 

 (and by how many feet) of the horses got the start, 

 and those of the outcome, were posted, were these two 

 worthies contending against each other for the ad- 

 vantage in turning their animals loose. 



At length, by a wild plunge, Rolette tore loose 

 from the grasp of his master, and set off down his 

 path. "Come back ! No start !" was loudly shouted 

 by the judges. The rider of Rolette, thus arrested, 

 sought to restrain the frantic animal he bestrode ; in 

 doing which, a pair of keen spurs, wherewith his heels 

 were barbed, came in unlucky contact with the horse's 

 sides. The consequence was that by a desperate 

 struggle, in which the girth bursted with a report like 

 the smack of a whip, that injured animal, sent his 

 tormentor a heels-over-head cruise among the wild 

 geese passing by. 



