Year: 1877




It was free for-an race, and there
was not driver behind one of the five
horses who did not mean to take the first
money. Not a shout, not touch of the
whip, not whisper from one of the
drivers as the trotters went around the
turn in a bunch. The crowd at the
grand stand were breathless as they
watched them down to the half-mile flag.


Not horse fell behind, not horse
left his feet. Down around the back
stretch, into the home stretch, and an old
veteran on the judges stand shaded his
eyes and whispered:


Great heavens, I never saw anything
like it before l''


Down they thundered, not break or
skip, and the driver with the orange
oolored cap drove under the wire only a
neck ahead.


1t was half minute before there was
word from the hunderstruck crowd,
but then such a shout went up as was
heard over the meadows for a long mile.



board and hung it up-"2:164 p'-and
the crowd shouted again.


When the horses scored again there
was new driver under the orange-col-
ored cap. Honest Jack" had been
hurled from his sulky in pulling up be-
hind the wire. Some said he was only
shaken up, and others looked grave as
they saw his white face and the bloody
froth on his lips. They took him to the
track keepers house, and the doctor ex
amined him and said:


"He won't drive again this summer,
and fear he has met his death blow"


"What was the time ?" whispered the
driver


A brother driver answered him despite
the surgeons warning gesture. and
Jacks white face showed disappointment
as he said


81 thought we were flying, but we
were only jogging. I'll yet see Little
Nell beat that by three seconds


Fever came and his wild rawlings were
about weight, over-checks, handholders,
trainers and rubbers.


The public forgot him in a day, but
the trainers and others around the track
inquired about him every hour in the
day, and took turns sitting up with him
nights.


1t was plain that death was coming
nearer every hour, but they could neither
break his fever nor lead his wild thoughts
into other channels.


"There goes the bell Get ready
All right Out O the way there I take
the polel' p he kept calling out, and they
saw that he would die with his thoughts
ON the stables and track.
One night when the air braced up and
the sultry heat was driven away, the pa
| tient rested better than usual. He ceased
his raving and fell into sweet sleep,
and by-and-by his tired watchers also
slept


When they opened their eyes again
they heard the ding ding ding of the
bell on the judges stand.


Honest Jacks bed was empty, and for
moment they could not comprehend
the situation.


Ding! ding ding went the bell
again, and the watchers ran over to the
track. Two of the stable boys joined
them, having been aroused by the bell,
and in another minute the trackman was
| there.


Through the gloom of midnight they
made out a human figure beside the
bell


Ding ding rang the bell and they
heard the beat OF hoofs on the soft track.
One glance showed them Little Nell be-
fore her sulky, and behind her was half
clad figure, with face SO white that il
seemed like a star in the gloom. Long
white fingers clutched the lines and 6
pair of eyes almost on fire shone down
upon the little crowd as Honest Jack
walked his horse down to the stand as il
to confer with the judge.


"The boy has left his bed, harnesseG
his horse and is going to trot against
timel l'' whispered the trackman, but
they dared not step foot upon the track
to stop him. In the judges stand was 6