THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 357 



ably quick intelligence. He knew that there was a race 

 on hand just as well as I did, and that knowledge kept him 

 excited until after it was over. 



The mare was the favorite at 100 to 70, and her party 

 exhibited great confidence. A vast deal of money had been 

 laid, but these bets were off by reason of the postponement. 

 On the Monday, she was backed at the same rate. When we 

 got the word, we went away at a great rate. At the quarter 

 pole, in 35s., she was a neck a-head. Dexter broke, and lost 

 two lengths. She led that spaee at the half-mile, in Im. 

 9f . On the lower turn, the little horse gained on her, but 

 broke before he had collared her. He broke again on the 

 stretch ; and I found it was of no use to persevere with him 

 for that heat, so she jogged it out in 2m. 24s. It was now 

 three to one on the mare. She won the second heat by a 

 length in 2m. 26-^. In the third heat, the mare led to 

 the middle of the back-stretch, where Dexter pincBed her 

 and she broke ; but she caught before Dexter had opened 

 daylight, and he broke, and fell two lengths behind. She 

 led that much at the half-mile pole. On the lower turn, he 

 out-trotted her, and she broke. He led her on the stretch, 

 ' where she broke again, and he jogged out in 2m. 27s.; 

 but it was not his day, and she jogged out the fourth heat 

 in 2m. 26^8. 



Dexter had won one race and had lost one in his second 

 season, and his engagement at three-mile heats was nigh at 

 hand. Mr. AUey, upon further consideration, had not only 

 told me that the horse should trot, but had taken half the 

 race. When the day came, it was very wet, and the course 

 was more like a canal than a race-course. We offered to 

 postpone it, but they would not agree. Stonewall Jackson 

 was backed at two to one. This odds was tempting to those 

 who knew that Dexter was a splendid horse under the sad- 

 dle, and had been ridden a good deal by John Murphy. He 

 rode in the race, and Mace rode Stonewall Jackson. In the 

 first heat, Dexter broke twice in the first quarter, and lost a 



