THE THOROUGHBREB IN AMERICA 59 



" Both animals were in the finest possible con- 

 dition, and the weather and the track, had they 

 been manufactured to a sportsman's order, could 

 not have been improved. At last the final signal 

 of 'Bring up your horses' sounded from the 

 bugle ; and prompt to call Gil Patrick, the well- 

 known rider of Boston, put his foot in Lexing- 

 ton's stirrup, and the negro boy of General Wells 

 sprang into the saddle of Lecompte. They ad- 

 vanced slowly and daintily forward to the stand, 

 and when they halted at the score, the immense 

 concourse that had, up to this moment, been 

 swaying to and fro, were fixed as stone. It was a 

 beautiful sight to see these superb animals stand- 

 ing at the score, filled with unknown qualities of 

 flight, and quietly awaiting the conclusion of the 

 directions to the riders for the tap of the drum. 



"At length the tap of the drum came, and in- 

 stantly it struck the stationary steeds leaped for- 

 ward with a start that sent everybody's heart into 

 his mouth. With bound on bound, as if life were 

 staked on every spring, they flew up the quarter 

 stretch, Lexington at the turn drawing his nose a 

 shadow in advance, but when they reached the 



