THE FIFTH HEAT. 243 



" Up they come for a fifth heat ; Relief all fire, Trifle very 

 sorry, and Black Maria now begins to paw the ground ! This 

 she had not done before. Ofi" they go ; Relief ahead. Trifle 

 after her, and Black Maria allowing no gap. She sticks to them 

 like a spirit ; and in the nineteenth mile the gallant little Trifle 

 is reluctantly compelled to give it up. The Eclipse mares are 

 obstinately determined to 'play out the play,' and the little 

 chestnut is taken off the track, completely ' done up.' Kow 

 comes a struggle, for the honors of a twentieth mile, between 

 two half sisters — whalebone both — and ' never give it up ' 's the 

 word. Black Maria pushes up the straight side, as you enter 

 upon the fourth — twentieth — mile, with a stride that counts ter- 

 ribly upon the steps of the Lady, who has relief now in nothing 

 but name. The black is so close upon her, that she almost 

 touches her heels. She pushes round the turn, and goes at her 

 on the straight side, like a quarter horse. They brush down 

 the straight side with invincible courage ; but that long untiring 

 stride is too much for Relief. Maria gives her the go by, takes 

 the track — keeps it in spite of all exertions — leads round the 

 turn, and thunders up toward the judges' stand, hard in hand, 

 untouched by whip or spur — passes the goal for the twentieth 

 time, and wins the race. Time, 8.4T. 



" Neither of the Eclipse mares appeared much distressed, 

 and they ran the last mile with the greatest spirit and stoutness. 

 Relief is a nag of the most extraordinary bottom. She seems 

 to become fresher after twelve miles, and then runs off* as gay 

 as a lark. As for Black Maria, she is literally ' too fast for the 

 speedy, and too strong for the stout.' She ran the twentieth 

 mile with a freshness and vigor that surprised every body, and 

 the spectators at last actually conceded that she is ' game ! ' 

 That she can conquer either Relief or Trifle, at two heats, in a 

 match^ there can be no manner of doubt ; and that she is a 

 'hard one to beat' in any race, even by o. field, all sportsmen 

 must now believe. She ran at her antagonists every heat, and 

 at last let them know what it was to run for the honors of a 

 twentieth mile ! " 



Of the three placed first in this memorable race. Black 

 Maria was the first to recover, though for months she was but 

 the shadow of herself. She came out in the following May 



