302 The American Thoroughbred 



and swells in still wider volume when Lexington 

 increases his one length to three, from the stand 

 to the turn of the back-stretch. In vain Le- 

 compte struggled ; in vain he called to mind his 

 former laurels ; in vain his rider struck him with 

 the steel ; his great spirit was a sharper spur, and 

 when his tail fell, as it did from this time out, 

 I could imagine he felt a sinking of the heart as 

 he saw streaming before him the waving flag of 

 Lexington, now held straight out in race-horse 

 fashion, and anon nervously flung up, as if it 

 were a plume of triumph. 



'"One hundred to fifty on Lexington!' The 

 three lengths were increased to four, and again 

 the shout arose, as in this • relative condition 

 they went for the third time over the course. 

 Time, 1.5 1. 



" The last crisis of the strife had now arrived, 

 and Lecompte, if he had any resources left, must 

 call upon them straight. So thought his rider, 

 for the steel went to his sides ; but it was in vain, 

 he had done his best; while, as for Lexington, 

 it seemed as if he had just begun to run. Gil 

 Patrick now gave him a full rein, and for a time, 

 as he went down the back-stretch, it actually 

 seemed as if he were running for the very fun 



