HIS FIRST RACE
Eventually, after much patience, the doctor lowered the flag to a
capital start, and amidst a volley of cheers the horses started on their
journey.
Neptune got well away, although, being on the outside, he did not get
such a lead as The Captain, Jackson having pushed his mount through just
as the flag was lowered, a clever piece of horsemanship, but risky and
dangerous.
Although Neptune was on the outside, it gave him the advantage of a
clear run. Rodney Shaw's second string made the pace a cracker and
sailed round the first bend with a long lead. At this point Neptune ran
wide and lost a good deal of ground, but Willie soon steadied him, and
determined to be more careful in future. It was a sharp circle round the
side, and Jackson hugged the rails with The Captain; Ben Madsley, being
alongside him on the favourite, who also was going remarkably well.
In a cluster behind this pair came Wamba, Wattle Tree, Dingo and
another, and Neptune was close after them.
Round the far side of the course Seaweed still held a good lead, but as
they neared the turn into the straight run home it soon became apparent
he would not retain it long, as his jockey was even then at work on him.
There was not much in it as they neared the judge's box; in fact, at the
end of the first mile it seemed a very open race.
Past the long line of vehicles and the crowds of people they galloped,
all well together, and the thud of their hoofs echoed amongst the
throng.
How the people shouted, first the name of this horse, then that, as they
caught sight of the colours.
Jim Dennis, who was standing near the judge's box with Adye Dauntsey,
saw how splendidly his horse was going, and that Willie had him well in
hand, and said to the magistrate,--
'If Neptune is as full of running next time he passes here we shall win,
I think.'
'By Jove! how well your lad rides! He is a plucky little fellow,' said
Adye.
'Yes, there's not much fear in him, and he is a rare judge of pace; I
have proved that when we have ridden together on the station; he has
often come with a sudden rush and beaten me,' said Jim.
Round the turn they swept again, and this time Willie held his horse
well in hand and secured a good position.
Seaweed had shot his bolt and fallen back, and The Captain now held the
lead, Jackson steadying him and keeping a wary eye on the others.
Ben Madsley felt confident of success, for Distant Shore was going well,
and pulling him out of the saddle. Still, it was too far from the
winning-post, he thought, to take up the running. He glanced to the
right, but could not see Neptune, and thought to himself,--
'Dennis has not much chance. He'll be sorry he did not put me up.'
He could not see that Neptune was going strong, not more than a couple
of lengths behind him.
At this point the favourite and The Captain held the advantage, and
already there was a tumult of excitement at the prospect of one of them
winning. Abe Dalton loudly proclaimed that The Captain would win.
'My horse wins for a score!' he kept on shouting, but no one ventured to
take his offer.
Jackson still held the lead, and was evidently bent on getting a clear
run round the home turn. This, too, was the intention of Ben Madsley,
and the riders of Wamba and Dingo were also on the alert.
Willie still had Neptune on the outside, as he did not care to risk
being crowded on to the rails and possibly not be able to find an
opening at the finish.
Dr Tom was watching the race closely, and thought,--
'If Neptune wins he's a real clinker, for he has run wide all the way.
I'm not at all sure this is not the best plan to ride such a big,
striding horse on this course. I hope Willie will last it out. It looks
like being a close finish, and he will want all his wits about him. That
blow on the head will not help him, it might cause him to feel faint at
the last moment. I wish I knew who did it.'
As the horses neared the turn into the straight the crowd became more
and more excited, for this was the critical moment, and there had been
more than one spill here on previous occasions.
Jackson sent The Captain along at his best pace, but could not shake off
Distant Shore. Neck and neck they raced for the turn, with Wamba and
Dingo and Scamp, who had come with a rattle close behind, and Neptune
still on the outside.
A thought had come into Willie's head which he resolved to put into
execution if possible. If he could be sure of Neptune, he thought it
might be done, and the horse had great speed.
He meant to come with a rush round the turn, and get so far in front as
to be able to sweep down on to the rails without any danger of crossing
or interfering with the other horses. It was a bold plan and might
succeed.
At last the bend was reached and he brought Neptune round with such a
tremendous rush that it electrified all who saw it.
'What's his little game?' muttered Dr Tom.
'He means to get on to the rails,' said Jim to his companion, 'but it is
too much to expect of the horse; look what a sweep he has to make.'
'He'll do it, I believe,' said Adye.
'It is a dashing move at anyrate, and worth trying for.'
Neptune, however, was not quite equal to the task, for Jackson saw what
Willie meant to try and accomplish, and sent The Captain along at such a
pace that it was impossible for Neptune to draw clear of him. This run,
brilliant as it was, gave Neptune an advantage, even if it didn't
accomplish all Willie had intended.
The pace, for the end of a two-mile race, was terrific, and there was
soon a long tail in the rear.
Jackson had been pushing The Captain for some time and it commenced to
tell upon him.
Madsley noticed this, and thought he had the race as good as won, but he
could not get rid of either The Captain or Neptune. The green jacket was
so conspicuous that Rodney Shaw became excited at the prospect of
winning and commenced to shout the name of his horse. He was standing
not far from Jim Dennis, who, hearing him, turned round and said,--
'Neptune beats yours for fifty.'
'Done,' said Shaw, 'a hundred if you like.'
'No, fifty will do,' said Jim.
'I'll have the other fifty,' said Aaron Hyam, and Shaw accepted it.
The yellow jacket was now almost level with the green and the black;
close behind came Scamp, Wamba and Dingo. The issue was confined to this
lot.
The crowd shouted until they were hoarse.
'The Captain's beaten!'
It was an ominous sound, and Abe Dalton smothered an oath as he looked
and saw Jackson hard at work upon his horse. Still The Captain struggled
on and answered gallantly, and Dalton thought he might just get home.
Whips were out, and Ben Madsley was calling vigorously upon Distant
Shore.
On the outside, nearly in the middle of the course, was Neptune, coming
along with giant strides, and Willie sitting still upon him.
At this critical moment the shouts of the crowd, the intense excitement
of a desperate finish, caused his head to swim, and he felt faint. He
nerved himself for a last effort. He must not fail now when the goal was
nearly reached, and Neptune looked all over a winner.
The excitement was tremendous. Never had such a finish been seen at
Swamp Creek, and the people surged and swayed in their frantic desire to
see the end of this great struggle.
Sympathy was with Willie Dennis. He was such a youngster, and so small,
and had ridden such a splendid race. Then Jim Dennis was popular, and
neither Abe Dalton nor Rodney Shaw possessed much of this. So the crowd
yelled, and waved hats and handkerchiefs, and the name of Neptune
echoed far and wide.
'Neptune wins!' 'Bravo, little un!' 'Neptune wins!'
'The Captain's done!'
Abe Dalton clenched his hands and set his teeth. The Captain was the
first of the three leaders to crack, and, despite every effort on the
part of Jackson, fell back. Dalton showered a torrent of oaths on the
people round him. He cursed Jackson and cursed his horse, and well-nigh
choked with rage, but no one heeded him, they were too intent upon the
race.
Rodney Shaw was almost frantic as he shouted the name of his horse until
his throat felt sore.
Jim Dennis seemed unmoved, but he was seething with intense excitement,
hidden beneath a calm exterior.
As for Willie, he hardly knew where he was or what he was doing. The
blow he had received caused his head to ache painfully, and a dimness
came over his eyes, and he only saw faintly.
He saw a mass of people swaying to and fro, like phantoms in a mist.
There was a surging in his ears and a tight feeling at his heart, but he
held on like grim death, and rode Neptune for all he was worth. In a
hazy sort of way he saw the judge's box, then he fancied he caught sight
of his father's set face, but he knew that could hardly be true.
Everything was jumbled up in his mind, and the only thing he recollected
afterwards with distinctness was that the green jacket was still level
with him and Ben Madsley was riding desperately.
'Distant Shore!' 'Neptune!'
'Neptune wins!' 'Distant Shore wins!'
These were the sounds he heard, in a dull sort of way, and he wondered
what it all meant.
He kept his eyes fixed on that green jacket. Would it never leave? Why
could he not shake it off? It seemed to dance before his eyes, to be
first on one side and then on the other, and a white cap on top, bobbing
up and down like a ball. He seemed to be flying through the air, and he
knew Neptune was going at a great pace; the horse could do no better, no
matter what he did or how he rode, and he sat perfectly still. Had he
moved he believed he would have fallen off.
It was all for the best that he could not move, for, had he done so,
Neptune might have shirked his work. There was no shirking now, and
again and again the ringing cheers proclaimed that Jim Dennis's horse
would win. At last, amid a perfect roar of exciting shouts, the pair
passed the post almost neck and neck.
Which had won?
The yellow or the green?
Ben Madsley thought Distant Shore had just struggled home in front, but
he was not sure.
As for Willie Dennis, he indistinctly recollected that the judge's box
was passed, and therefore the race must be over, and with an effort he
pulled Neptune up and turned him round. He did not know whether he had
won or not, but the crowd did, for Neptune's number had been hoisted,
and the judge's verdict was a short head.
'What a great race the lad rode,' said Adye Dauntsey. 'He's a little
wonder, Jim. You must take him to Sydney. He sat as still as a mouse.'
Jim Dennis hurried across to lead his horse in, followed by Dr Tom and
an excited crowd of people.
'Well done, Willie,' said Jim, and then, catching sight of his son's
face, he trembled all over. Willie was pale as death and looked straight
before him with wide, staring eyes.
Dr Tom came up, and, seeing the lad's state, said,--
'He'll hardly be able to weigh in, Jim. Hold on fast, Willie,' he said.
'You must not fail us now; that will never do. You have won the race. Do
you hear me? Neptune's won!'
The lad smiled faintly and nodded.
'I'm all right now, Dr Tom,' he said in a dull voice.