66 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



train and drive, to Mr. James D. McMann, a man A\hom I 

 liad seen drive races in the days when I used to play hookey 

 from school and hide my books under a lumber pile. He 

 took the horse to Philadelphia, and trotted him in the spring 

 races against his old opponent, Kansas Chief, then in the 

 hands of Mr. Dave Muckle. Kansas beat him three races 

 in succession, Rarus seeming to have none of his old-time 

 speed or dash. About this time Mr. McMann, feeling that 

 he vs^as too old to leave home to campaign the horse, sug- 

 gested that he vv^ould turn the horse over to me. I had given 

 Mr. Wallace a contract for my services for the year, and 

 could not take the horse vsdthout his consent. So strongly 

 was I impressed with the greatness of Rarus that I was will- 

 ing to give uj) a good contract, with a certainty, for the 

 chance of getting him to train and drive. I went and stated. 

 the case to Mr. Wallace, and he advised me, for my own 

 good, not to give up the contract and take Rarus, but said 

 that if I insisted he would consent to the arrangement, 

 which he did. By this time Mr. McMann had brought 

 Rarus to a half-mile track on Long Island, owned by the Bar- 

 clay Brothers. About the 1st of July I went one morning, 

 with Mr. Conklin and McMann, to this place, and, for the first 

 time in my life, sat behind Rarus. Mr. McMann advised me 

 to give him a mile in about 2:40, and, twenty minutes later, to 

 drive him another mile in about 2:30, and, if I liked him, to 

 let him step along the last quarter, which I did. I was 

 much pleased with him, and, while Mr. McMann told 

 me he thought him a great horse, I was full sure that he 

 was greater than even he thought. Mr. Conklin made 

 me the proposition that I take the horse and enter him, and 

 pay his expenses, and have half what he won. I was per- 

 fectly vdlling to accept the contract, but the next thing was, 

 where could I get the money to pay the expenses? I 

 bethought myself of Mr. Simmons, knowing that if I found 

 him I would have no trouble to get what money I needed; but 

 on my return to New York, Mr. Simmons was out of town, 

 and no one seemed to know where he was. The entries through 



