GEORGE WILKES. 253 



horse that I have ever seen. He never breaks of him- 

 self, and the truth is that he can trot faster than he 

 can run, and faster than a great many other horses 

 can run. 



"A match was now made between the stallion and 

 the black horse, General Butler, the latter to go under 

 saddle, while the other went in harness. Butler had 

 come very fast in reputation as a trotting horse. At 

 one time nobody but George Hopkins believed in 

 him ; but when he defeated Panic and Jilt it began to 

 be thought that 'the contraband' was no counterfeit 

 at least. It was declared by Hopkins that his strong 

 point was under saddle, and a nice little party got up 

 one moonlight night to see him put through a trial, 

 with Socks, the runner, by his side. What question 

 they asked him is not known, but it must have been 

 answered in the affirmative, for Joe Cocheron was 

 soon after heard declaring that he could be backed 

 against the stallion. I had always before that taken 

 'Uncle Joe' for one of Caesar's favorites — 'fat-headed 

 men who sleep o' nights ;' but we hear that he was as 

 alert as anybody on this noctural but interesting oc- 

 casion. Harry Genet, the owner of Butler, said that 

 his horse must win. 'The contraband' was at the 

 very pitch of condition, drawn to bone and sinew, all 

 the weak and washy particles having been eliminated. 

 Mace rode him, and never rode better; Jones drove 

 the stallion, and drove him well. It was two to one 

 on Wilkes at the start, but it speedily appeared that 

 'the contraband' was a magnificent trotter. He took 

 the lead, and went to the half-mile in i :io, with a lead 

 of five or six lengths. This he maintained to the head 

 of the stretch. In coming home the stallion made a 



