The herald., 1898-10-17
+ + r + r r r r + ]. r i. + + + = + II
Facing the Procession


They tell you that the straightest thing
about horse race is the track. Generally,
but here, for once, is straighter Tip"
IT you really want to enjoy the races, dom
watch the horses; they are too much alike
good horses are. What do you care about
an eighth of a short second, more or less,
in a thousand hooffalls? Look at the rest
OF OF, the hen %aenag nag They are neither alike
But if you positively can't keep your eyes
and your money-off the horses while the
heats and the pools are on, get outside the
gate just before the crowd breaks and watch
the human race as it streams out into the
evening after the last record and sport arc
broken and the stalls and jockeys are fill
ing up. 1t will pay you; and no other race
has done so-probably.
O o o
Everybody is racing mad. The horses,
fresh from the quarter-stretch, are drunk
with the craze OF the track, and their drivers
no less. Long disused whips crack out on
the sunset air, and old Dobbin sheds his re-
cent memories of the pillow for long-speft
ambitions of speed. Down they whirl, down
Figueroa street in lunches of twos and
all are winners. Whalebone is king and
every cracker is swapping. 1t is a pretty
sight and a dashing one. l wish l rode
beside that girl with a red hat and the bay
horse.
The first premonition that the days sport
is over il a scurry of silent wheelmen.
They are always ahead, nowadays, ahead of
the fire engine, ahead of the patrol wagon,
ahead of the ambulance. Old King Death
himself must needs ride hard and turn often
to keep out Of the quest of that tireless cav
airy. They whistle on and away.
y O O
A couple of road-buggies come speeding
for the first place from the entrance; young
men driving the horses; young girls driving
the men. Who wouldn't lightly put his
life in a swaying balance to win a smile
from those fearless eyes and the pressure
from that little glove on his arm?
The spidery wheels miss the massive stone
post by an inch and the big chestnut strides
out into the open street ahead. The blue
eyes. smile triumph, and the little glove
nestles it, Cupid is starter again. IL some
times seems as if he always was.
o o o
Here comes hack; one of the soft
wheeled, noiseless sort, so as not to inter-
rupt conversation inside. But it doesn't
need any rubber tires to make that con-
versation audible. Those strident voices
young voices too--could be heard over the
clang OF a stonecrusher, and you could hear
the color Of the picture hats louder than the
voices. "You didn't look into that hack!"
does 1t swings on, in the jam Of vehicles,
alone. Men look over it maidens look
away from it; matrons look through it;
but no one sees it. Is it the rubber tires
that have made'it invisible too?
o O O
Hullo! how those fellows drive!! Eel
lows? The head one is a girl, and by Jove!
she is gaining. A little less whip, my lady,
girl and pretty good sort it is, too. It
means a cool head, a clear eye and the cour
age of an accident policy. In a moment like
thia she is sublime. Her manners may smell
of the barn trife, but who cares? It
is far better scent in morals or muslin
the girl that drives horses. She don't talk
too much. but acts. She wont be so keen