I06 EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 



else of the party. He said he would give more to down that 

 pair than anything else he knew of just at that particular 

 time. He gave each of us a particular part to do and when 

 to do it. In drawing for positions Charles Hilton drew the 

 pole, J. Q. second, Astral third, Spofford fourth, Kitefoot out- 

 side. If a horse ever got haseracted it was J. Q. Splan al- 

 ways gave him a long score, went well up the stretch half-way 

 to the three-quarter pole nearly every time. We would go 

 up to the first distance and when J. 0. would get under full 

 headway we would turn and come down with him, but some 

 one of the horses would be on a break or out of his place 

 every time, consequently we would not get the word. My 

 mare was in fault many times, being on the outside of the 

 track and it was very hard. She was also a little shy of the 

 tent over the pool stand. The judges got out of patience 

 with us, called us to the stand and gave us some terrible turn- 

 ing overs, but nevertheless we had our orders and were sworn 

 to obey them. In this way we scored seventeen or eighteen 

 times before we got the word. The judges finally called me 

 up, seeming to think I was to blame, and reprimanded me 

 pretty severely and wanted to know what we were trying to 

 do. I endeavored to bring a smile over their faces by saying 

 I did not know what the rest were trying to do, but for my 

 part I was out for the money. But no smile appeared, for 

 they had exhausted their good nature. We finally got the 

 word and about thirty rods below the stand Charles Hilton 

 broke and ran right head and head with J. O. clear to 

 the first turn, which is a long distance from the stand on this 

 track. When they got there the Counselor seemed to forget 

 to turn. He kept going out until he got J. O. nearly to the 

 outside of the track and then he broke, too, and Astral slipped 

 through on the inside antl opened a big gap. When J. 0. 

 caught he cut loose after Astral with a wonderful burst of 

 speed and overhauled her at the three-quarter pole. There 

 J. Q. broke again and Astral won the heat in 2:1!). The 

 General and myself had went a very easy heat, both laying 



