ite of the apparent ease with which it
seemed possible to beat it, welshing was almost unheard of.

The grandstand was crowded, although it was quite a different crowd from
that at race meets of former times and on other tracks. Belmore Park lay
within motoring distance of the greatest aggregation of wealth and
fashion in the country. It was a wonderful throng. The gay dresses of
the women mingled kaleidoscopically with the more somber clothing of the
men.

Every eye in that sea of moving humanity seemed to be riveted on Lady
Lee and her rider. It was a pretty good example of how swiftly inside
news at the race-track may become public property. Ill news, on this
occasion, seemed to have traveled apace. Field-glasses were leveled at
the horse which should have been the favorite, and one could tell, by
the buzz of conversation, that this race was the great event of the
season. As the jockeys maneuvered for position, one could almost feel
that some wonderful feats of memory were being performed by the
bookmakers. The odds, during the morning, had gradually lengthened
against Lady Lee.

Like all thoroughbreds, Lady Lee had a most delicate organism, and the
good rider, in such a case, was the one who understood his mount. McGee
had, in the past at least, that reputation. He had reached pretty near
the top of his profession by knowing how to deal with horses of all
types. All this and more I had picked up from the gossip of the track.

The barrier was sprung and the flag dropped. They were off! The
grandstand rose in a body.

For a moment, it seemed to me that McGee had lost his nerve. Alertness
at the post is an important factor. He had not got away from the barrier
ahead of the field. Another rider, too, had got the rail, and hence the
shortest route. I wondered whether, after all, that had been the trouble
all along, for nothing can win or lose a race quicker or better than
those little failures of the jockey himself.

Lady Lee, I had heard it said, was one of those horses that do not
require urging, but go to the front naturally. Just now, it did not seem
that she was beaten, but that she lacked just the power to lead the
field. Did McGee figure that the horses ahead of him were setting such a
fast clip that they would drop back to him before the race was over?

Cleverly, however, he avoided being pocketed, as those ahead of and
beside him tried to close in and make him pull up.

Around they went until the horses