TROTTING RACES. 111 
were stuffed with cotton. Splan took “the last, 
dying chance,” as he called it. Running the risk of 
a break, which would have been fatal, he leaned 
forward and touched Nobby lightly on the shoulder 
with his whip. The move was successful. Nobby 
kept steadily to a trot, but, gamely responding to 
the appeal, made one final effort, and fairly staggered 
under the wire, a winner by a head.! Time, 2.283. 
Thus ended a memorable contest. It was won by 
the horse who proved himself the slowest trotter 
and the worst breaker of the three competitors, — 
won through his own courage and endurance, and 
throngh the skill and patience of his driver. “But 
who cares to see a race which falls to the slowest 
horse? The race should be to the swift,” is a com- 
ment that might perhaps be made. Such a criticism 
would be founded upon a false notion of sport. All 
sports practised for the amusement of a spectator are 
noble according as victory in them depends upon the 
exercise of moral and mental qualities. The atten- 
tive reader of Boxiana will conclude that, taking the 
history of the ring as a whole, the fight was usually 
won by the man who had determined that he would 
not be beaten; and from this circumstance alone a 
very fair argument might be made—how nearly 
adequate need not here be considered —in support 
of pugilism. 
In trotting races, for the reasons already stated, and 
as is apparent from the illustrations that have been 
given, there is a peculiar opportunity for the exercise 
1 Since the writing of this chapter, Nobby has been sold at 
auction. He brought $2,000, and his purchaser, as the senti- 
mental reader will be glad to learn, was John Splan. 
