AND OTHER SKETCHES 237 



crowd was ranged on either side of the home stretch, and 

 many were the opinions expressed on the probability of 

 the foreigner distancing the whole party in the first heat. 

 In the preparatory "overture" there were one or two 

 old heads who did not like Lewis. To them he moved 

 stiff and did not appear able to extend himself ; but with 

 the general run of horsemen present his past victories 

 blinded their eyes, so that they were unable to form an 

 unprejudiced opinion. 



After a few unsuccessful attempts to get away, the 

 word was given, with Mazeppa a half length on the lead, 

 the favorite in second position. Trotting up the straight 

 stretch from the judges' stand Mazeppa went like a 

 quarter horse, and as he passed the quarter pole had fully 

 six lengths the best of the company. Yet no glimmer of 

 doubt disturbed the minds of the Bolly Lewis backers, 

 and even when at the half-mile flag the yellow gelding 

 had a lead of twenty lengths, the opinion was that the 

 journey on the last half would anchor him. Eounding 

 the turn, with the whole field spread out in Indian file, 

 the leader displayed wondrous speed, and as he squared 

 himself for home showed still more daylight between 

 himself and his followers. Nearing the judges' stand his 

 driver and owner, the late Simon James, pulling him up 

 walked him past the stand in time close to 2.30. The sec- 

 ond and third heats were a repetition of the first. Mazep- 

 pa was beyond doubt a faster horse that day than he ever 

 showed himself, either on former or after occasions. 



That day it would have taken a veritable ghost to beat 

 him and so, no doubt, thought the eastern sharp 'uns who 

 staked their pile on the American representative. In the 

 pool-room that night great was the jubilee with the field- 

 ers, fifteen and twenty dollars had captured a pile, and 

 sour were the faces of the foreigners who saw their 

 shekels pass into the hands of those who were not likely 

 to give them an opportunity to win them back again. 



