3i8 The American Thomiigbbred 



further back. This mile was not quite as fast as 

 the second, i minute 51 seconds being the time 

 of running it. 



"Meanwhile Thompson, the trainer of Idlewild, 

 had begun to feel a little nervous excitability. 

 ' Tommy,' said he to Captain Moore, as the 

 horses ran along the back-stretch, 'is laying too 

 far off. Tell him to move up a little when they 

 come along.' 



" ' I shan't tell him anything of the kind ; he's 

 doing well enough,' was the reply. 



"As they ran along the back-stretch of the 

 fourth mile the mare began to creep toward 

 Jerome Edgar. At the half-mile there was but 

 a length of daylight between them. 



" Now the great struggle in reality began. 

 Inch by inch the stride of the mare closed the 

 gap of daylight. Soon it was all gone. And 

 then steadily, but inevitably, as the shadow of the 

 moon during an eclipse advances over the face 

 of the sun, she forereached to his head. 



" But Jerome was not to be passed, and steamed 

 away from her. Carefully nursed by Gil Patrick, 

 he had a run yet in him, even at the rate they 

 were going. Neck and neck with the mare in 

 the hollow of the turn, as though cheered on by 



