The Last Race of Lexington 299 



" When the blankets were stripped from the 

 horses and their magnificent combinations of 

 blood, heart, and muscle stood glistening and 

 flickering in the sun, the crowd near by could 

 not resist an involuntary burst of admiration, at 

 which Lecompte stepped coquettishly about, 

 showing his beautiful chestnut coat and branch- 

 ing muscle, while the darker Lexington, with a se- 

 date and intelligent aspect, looked calmly around, 

 as if he felt that the sensation was quite what he 

 expected and deserved. 



" Both animals were in the finest possible con- 

 dition, and the weather and the track, had they 

 been manufactured to a sportsman's order, could 

 not have been improved. At last the final signal 

 of ' Bring up your horses ' sounded from the 

 bugle; and prompt to the call, Gil Patrick, the 

 well-known rider of Boston, put his foot in 

 Lexington's stirrup, and the negro boy of Gen- 

 eral Wells sprang into the saddle of Lecompte. 

 They advanced slowly and daintily forward to 

 the stand, and when they halted at the score the 

 immense concourse, that had up to this moment 

 been swaying to and fro, were fixed as stone. It 

 was a beautiful sight to see these superb animals 

 standing at the score, filled with unknown quali- 



