THE TnOTI ING-nonsE OF AMERICA, 323 



titled to the money ; and it is to be hoped that Hall was 

 compelled to pay. After having got $20,000 for the horse, 

 which was said to be his price, this stopping of the check 

 was small business. 



The race now on hand was not as good as that which 

 was witnessed when they came together on the same course 

 tbe first time that year. That was a race, the like of which 

 I have never quite seen for speed, obstinacy of contest, and 

 close finish. This in August was very fast also ; but the 

 mare won with more ease. When they met early in June, 

 it was her first race that season ; while Patchen's trots with 

 Ethan Allen had served to sharpen up and season him. 

 Besides that consideration, there is another. This was her 

 fifth race with him that year, and all of them had been very 

 fast. Now, about four races with Flora was enough to take 

 a little of the fine edge off any horse that ever trotted with 

 her, if the pace was strong. It took more to get Patchen 

 down completely within her power, than it had ever done 

 ,with any former horse ; but, if the process was slow, it was 

 sure, as we shall presently see. In ,the first heat of this 

 race at the Union, they started well together, after scoring 

 four or five times, in which Patchen, as usual, displayed 

 great speed on the straight work. On the turn, his inside 

 place gave him a little advantage, and the mare made a 

 skip. McMann caught her on the jump; but he led a 

 length and a half at the half-mile pole in Im. lis. This 

 lead was maintained all round the lower turn and somewhat 

 increased on the stretch. At the draw-gate, James called 

 upon the little mare, and she appeared to collect herself for 

 one of her grand rushes f but she did not get the right 

 stroke, and tangled all up, so that he won in 2m. 23^s., and 

 she ran over the score a couple of lengths behind him. 



It was now a 100 to 40 on Patchen. He seemed some- 

 what distressed, but he was i horse that got over his llow^ 

 ing in an admirable manner. After some scoring, Mc- 

 Mann rather caught Tallman napping ; and, Plora getting 



