Page:Patches (1928).pdf/236

 Remember it is the last mile that counts, even then do not shove him for all he is worth until the last quarter. It is the finish that tells. Good luck, boy, we are all betting on you."

As everybody had expected at the crack of the pistol the Jack Rabbit sprung into the lead. Pony saw to that, even if he could not be in at the end of the race he was going to have some glory for his little horse so he didn't spare the small mustang, but put him at once to his best pace. The Indian boy on Knocka-knees also had this intention and he and Pony had a lively race up to the half, but Pony and the Jack Rabbit led at the half by a hundred feet. They were closely followed by the Antelope who could better afford an early spurt than they could for he had wind like a moose. The rest of the horses were contented to trail on behind these racers who had set out to cover the first half mile in record-breaking time.

At the half as everyone had expected the Jack Rabbit began to show signs of slackening. Knocka-knees and the Antelope passed him and by the three-quarters he was at the tail end of the procession nearly a hundred feet behind.

At the three-quarters Knocka-knees and the Antelope staged a brilliant run to the finish of the first mile and they came in under the wire fifty yards ahead of the rest of the horses. Larry did not mind that he and