THE THIKD HEAT. 241 



" Here, again, all were at fault. One party were crying out 

 to the rider of Maria, ' Why did you not stir yom-self ! One 

 blow of the whip, before you came to the distance post, would 

 have won the race.' ' I had no whip, sir ; Maria won't bear it. 

 It discourages her. She must run under a pull, with the spur 

 as an admonisher.' Again a thousand rumors were afloat. 

 Trifle was as gay as a bird — ^in no way distressed. She had 

 ''posed the ' big 'un,' who looked, as imagination said, ' both sick 

 and sorry.' It was a ' safe thing,' and ' Black Maria can't 

 win — she's done up ' — went round like wild fire, from mouth to 

 month. 



" In the mean time, Lady Eelief was little thought of; but 

 a Jerseyman was heard to say, ' We'll show 'em some of the 

 Eclipse ^j'Zii^c^ yet, before we've done.' At the sounding of the 

 trumpet for the third heat. Trifle and Eelief came up in great 

 spirits, while Black Maria seemed in no way ambitious of an- 

 other trial. But she's always cool ; and, as her mode of start- 

 ing is reluctant and slow, nothing can be safely argued from her 

 spirits. 



" At the tap of the drum, Trifle and Relief went off from 

 the score, leaving Maria some distance behind. In the course 

 of the first mile, however, she lessened the gap between herself 

 and the leading horses, and got well up to them. But it would 

 not do ; she could not pass. — ' What horse is that leading there ? 

 Surely it can't be Lady Relief ! It is, upon my soul ! The Jer- 

 sey mare's ahead ! ' And, sure enough, so she was. The nag 

 that had attracted so little notice, as neither to be heard nor 

 cared for, had taken the lead upon the fourth mile ; and away 

 she ran, keeping the track in spite of them all, until you come 

 within the distance pole, on the last quarter's stretch. And 

 while she was leading, well ahead, from some unaccountable 

 circumstance the boy pulled her up at once, and Trifle shot by 

 and won the heat. Time, 8,13. 



" Black Maria was ' well up ' during the whole race, but she 

 now fell into comj)lete disfavor ; and ' she's done up ' — ' an even 

 bet she don't come again ' — went round the field with great con- 

 fidence. It is the writer's opinion, that Relief could have taken 

 the heat if she had been urged up to the judges' stand, and that 

 she ought to have won it. As it was. Trifle, who well deserved 

 Vol. I.— 16 



