ARIEL AND FLIRTILLA. 205 



rate was tremendous ; thus tliey went along, until they arrived 

 at the middle of the back part of the course, in the third or last 

 round ; the gray filly trailing full twenty yards. Here she let 

 out, and, as if with magic speed, came up, challenged, and took 

 the lead ; all in a run of forty rods, and before she arrived at 

 the half-mile pole of this last round. Flirtilla, however, fol- 

 lowed in a determined and spirited manner ; but Ariel kept up 

 her rate, and although she dropped a little, coming up the 

 stretch, came in from three to four lengths ahead. 



Time of running the 1st mile in this heat, - - 2m. 12s. 



Time of running the two last miles, - - - - 3m. 47s. 



Time of running the heat, 5m. 59s. 



I took a view of the horses, as soon as they were stripped 

 and led off to their rubbing places. Ariel appeared a little 

 swollen about the loins, what is termed filleted ; did not per- 

 spire freely, or relieve herself as she ought. Flirtilla showed 

 also some symptoms of distress ; but nothing which indicated 

 being overmarked. The race I now considered — barring acci- 

 dents — insured to Flirtilla. 



Second Heat. — Flirtilla went to work in earnest ; she chal- 

 lenged at the start, passed ahead, and kept up a telling pace ; 

 Ariel following with all her power, but each round dropping 

 farther and farther behind. In the second mile it was evident 

 that her chance was out. Toward the termination of the last 

 mile, when Flirtilla entered upon the quarter stretch, she had 

 beaten the gray filly full 100 yards, and thus far in advance was 

 she when she passed the four-mile distance, 40 rods from home ; 

 but as she neared the crowd, and had arrived within 20 or 25 

 rods of the winning post, became sulky or restive, refused to 

 run, actually braced herself, and it was with the greatest dif- 

 ficulty that her rider prevented her from coming to a full stop. 

 Young Laird, having given up all idea of winning the heat, and 

 intending barely to drop within the distance post, seeing that 

 something was the matter, clapped whip and spur to the filly, 

 and brought her up at a rattling pace ; but it was too late, the 

 distance, yet to be measured, too short; one more stride would 



