LEXINGTON AND LECOMTE. 315 



and when, on Friday evening, it was announced on the course 

 that an arrangement to that effect had been made, and that the 

 next day would see its consummation, the news spread electri- 

 cally, and we found ourselves again in the midst of an excite- 

 ment, of course. 



Every thing was in favor of the prospect for sport, Tlie track 

 was in tip-top order, confessedly. The day rose fair, and con- 

 tinued so. The ride to the course was delightful. Every thing 

 seemed to favor the occasion. From an early hour to a late 

 one, all the roads were filled by travellers, availing themselves 

 of every kind and description of locomotion. Every thing, from 

 a dray to a four-in-hand, was in requisition, and they who were 

 " too late for the wagon," walked. Fully ten thousand people 

 must have been present on the stands and in the field. The 

 sight was truly animating. The ladies, as upon the former great 

 occasion, made a goodly show on the stands appropriated to 

 them by the gallantry of the Club, and added no little to the 

 pleasure of the day. Betting, which was by no means slow in 

 any part of the course, ran amusingly high in this department 

 of it, and we saw many anti-Lecomte bets most cheerfully and 

 smilingly paid by laughing losers, while many musical remind- 

 ers that Lexington had lost, suggested to as many overtaken 

 gentlemen that '-'- place aux dames*'' should be their motto in 

 settling their books. We grieve to say that Lexington, by the 

 by, proved to be the favorite to a great extent among the ladies, 

 who, we will do them the credit to say, paid up with most com- 

 mendable promptness ; so far as they could do so on the field. 

 Of the gloves, and handkerchiefs, and other pretty trifles, which 

 they wagered, we, of course, can not speak with equal con- 

 fidence. 



The race, of which we give below a detailed account, was 

 indeed an exciting one. Since the races we have alluded to as 

 hitherto among the greatest that have been run, there has 

 been nothing like it ; and in all its incidents, from the start to 

 the victory, it will always be remembered as pre-eminently the 

 greatest four-mile race on record. 



The betting was extremely heavy ; still it was less than on 

 the last week's race, as there were not so many strangers in town, 

 and money had not been sent here from abroad to be invested 



