The Last Race of Lexington 303 



of the thing. It was now $100 to $10 on Lex- 

 ington, or any kind of odds, but there were no 

 takers. He had the laurel in his teeth and was 

 CToinsf for a distance. 



" But at this inglorious prospect Lecompte 

 desperately rallied, and escaped the humiliation 

 by drawing himself a few lengths within the 

 distance pole, while Lexington dashed past the 

 stand, hard in hand, and actually running away 

 with his rider — making the last mile in 1.52! 

 and completing the four in the unprecedented 

 time of 7. 2 3 J. I say unprecedented because it 

 beats Lecompte's 7.26, and is therefore the 

 fastest heat that was ever made in a match." 



If there was in the hearts of the people of 

 New Orleans and of Louisiana a resentment 

 against Lexington for this signal defeat which 

 he had administered to their "Red River" 

 horse, they gave no sign of it ; but, on the con- 

 trary, when the Kentuckians and their friends 

 returned to the city from the course that after- 

 noon, there was scarce an alien in the town who 

 was not the subject of entertainment by some 

 citizen. 



Indeed, it was the part of social New Orleans 

 to show to the horsemen from far up the river 



