RACE AND RACE HORSE 221 



" I take you/' cried Gabriel excitedly. " Dat's 

 a bet." 



If Gabriel accepted the challenge, so did we, 

 and right heartily at that. We threw ourselves, 

 heart and soul, into the struggle. The men in 

 the mate's boat, holding us cheaply, believed they 

 could draw away whenever they chose and go 

 on to win, hands down. The mate kept looking 

 over at us, a supercilious smile still curling the 

 corners of his mouth. 



" Come on now, my boys," he cried. " All to- 

 gether. Shake her up a bit. Give those fellows 

 a taste of your mettle." 



We heard his words as distinctly as his own 

 crew heard them — he was only a few boat 

 lengths away. They inspired us to greater 

 exertion than they inspired his own men. They 

 spurted. So did we. Still the two boats raced 

 neck and neck. We were not to be shaken off. 

 The mate looked disconcerted. His men had 

 done their level best to take the lead and they 

 had failed. That spurt marked the crisis of the 

 race. 



The mate's smile faded out. His face grew 



