ied one of the judges to the starter.

The starter pulled the cord of the big gong which is rung to bring the
horses back if they have not made an even start, as very often happens.

Clang! went the gong. The jockeys on the backs of the horses knew what
the ringing of the bell meant. Some of them had begun to guide their
horses so as not to run into Freddie and his mount, but there were so
many racers that one or two of them might have bumped into the little
fellow. But when the jockeys heard the ringing of the bell they knew it
was a false start and they pulled in their steeds and some turned back.

But now something else happened. While the horse Freddie had climbed up
on was kind and gentle, yet he was a race horse. And as soon as he found
himself out on the track he must have thought he had been ridden there
to take part in a race.

At any rate, before Freddie could stop him, even if the little Bobbsey
lad had been able to do this, the horse began to trot around the track.
Perhaps he thought the ringing of the bell meant for him to start.

So away he ran, going faster and faster with poor Freddie bobbing up
and down, but still clinging to the animal's neck. It was all Freddie
could do, as there was no saddle horn to grasp.

"Whoa! Whoa!" begged the little chap. "Nice horsie! Whoa now!"

It was not so much fun as Freddie had at first thought to take a ride in
this way. At the beginning he had an idea that he might some day be a
jockey and wear a gayly colored silk blouse. But he never imagined race
horses went so fast.

"Whoa! Whoa!" cried Freddie again. But his horse did not stop. Indeed,
it only went faster.

"Somebody get after that boy!" yelled the starter, leaning from the
judges' stand. "He'll be hurt if you don't get him!"

"I'll get him!" offered one of the jockeys. He called to his horse and
was soon speeding around the track after Freddie. And now the horse on
whose back the little Bobbsey boy was seated, hearing another steed
coming after him, began to think it was a race in real earnest, and he
commenced to go faster. All the "whoa" shouts Freddie uttered were of
no use.

"Go on, Tomato! Go on!" cried the jockey to his horse. "Go on, Tomato!"
Tomato was the name of his animal.

The shouts and the screams of the crowd attracted the attention of Mr.
Bobbsey and the other children as they came from the animal tent. And as
Mr. Bobbsey neared the race track he had a glimpse of his little son
clin