CRESCEUS, 2:02 



trotted under similar conditions. With little delay 

 the champion came down to the wire neck and neck 

 with Mike The Tramp, and Ketcham nodded for the 

 word. "Go!" shouted the starter, "Go!" breathed 

 the crowd, and like the flash of the sensitive shutter on 

 the photograph plate, Cresceus was at the quarter pole 

 in 32^ seconds. He dashed by the half in I 104^, and 

 was trotting steadily on in his effort to smash the 

 record. The pace-maker was running like the wind 

 at his side, and hung on until he passed the three- 

 quarter pole in 1 136 J. Around the back turn the ter- 

 rific pace continued, and Mike The Tramp again 

 edged close as he turned into the home-stretch. Cres- 

 ceus with his mighty stride, sped like a swift arrow 

 down the home-stretch. There was no thunder of 

 hoofs. Mike The Tramp was bounding over the earth. 

 Cresceus was gliding silently on like a river torrent, 

 swift, sure, silently, to where the wire stretched across 

 the track and the watches were counting the inexorable 

 seconds away. He reached the western limit of the 

 grand stand. He glinted by the betting ring and 

 passed the judge's stand while the crowd held their 

 deep-drawn breath. Then by the wire the champion, 

 like a wayward meteor plunged, and five thousand per- 

 sons broke the tension with a spontaneous shout of 

 welcome. 2 107 was hung out from the timer's stand, 

 and again the people shouted. It was a great perform- 

 ance and Cresceus in this mile over one of the worst 

 tracks he ever trotted, added another state record to 

 his long list of championship records. 



