Lively now! I want to get out of this
rain.... Walk 'em up, you crook-legged little devils! _Walk 'em up, I
say!_"

Last Chance advanced sedately to his position, which was on the outer
rail. Grayling, the favourite, had drawn the inner rail. Jake,
obeying orders, swung his weight on Alibi's bit and dragged the
rearing, plunging creature into the middle of the line. At that
instant the starter jerked the trigger and yelled:

"_Come on! Come on!_"

The whole thing happened in the flicker of an eyelid. As Jake
released his hold, Alibi whirled at right angles and bolted for the
inner rail, carrying Grayling, Ivy Leaf, Satsuma, and Jolson with
him. They crashed into the fence, a squealing, kicking tangle, above
which rose the shrill, frightened yells of the jockeys. This left but
four horses in the race, and one of them, old Last Chance, passed
under the barrier with a wild bound which all but unseated his rider.
It was not his habit to display such unseemly haste in getting away
from the post and, to do him justice, Last Chance was no less
surprised--and shocked--than a certain young man of our acquaintance.

"Well, look at that lizard go!" gasped the Bald-faced Kid.
_"Look--at--him--go!_"

"Honest Injun?" asked Hopwood. "Is he going--really?"

"Is he going! He's going crazy! And listen to this! That black thing
carried a big bunch of 'em into the fence and they're out of it! Only
four in the race and we're away flying! Do you get that? Flying!"

"Honest?"

"Can't you hear the crowd hissing the rotten start?"

"Well," said Hopwood, "it--it's about time I had a little luck."

"That skate has got something besides luck with him to-day!"
exclaimed the Kid. "I wonder now--did he try a powder after all? But
no, he was quiet enough on the way to the post."

Seeing nothing ahead of him but mud and water, Jockey Gillis steered
Last Chance toward the inner rail.

"Don't you quit on me, you crab!" he muttered. "Don't you quit! Keep
goin' if you don't want me to put the bee on you again! Hi-ya!"

Montezuma, Bluestone, and Stuffy Eaton were the other survivors--bad
horses all. Their riders, realizing that something had happened to
the real contenders, drove them hard and on the upper turn Jockey
Gillis, peering over his shoulder, saw that he was about to have
competition. He began to boot Last Chance in the ribs, but the aged
chestnut refused to respond to such ordinary treatment.

"All right!" said Jockey Gillis, s