shifted her pace and began overtaking him on the other side.  Frou-Frou’s shoulder, beginning by now to be dark with sweat, was even with Gladiator’s back.  For a few lengths they moved evenly.  But before the obstacle they were approaching, Vronsky began working at the reins, anxious to avoid having to take the outer circle, and swiftly passed Mahotin just upon the declivity.  He caught a glimpse of his mud-stained face as he flashed by.  He even fancied that he smiled.  Vronsky passed Mahotin, but he was immediately aware of him close upon him, and he never ceased hearing the even-thudding hoofs and the rapid and still quite fresh breathing of Gladiator.

The next two obstacles, the water course and the barrier, were easily crossed, but Vronsky began to hear the snorting and thud of Gladiator closer upon him.  He urged on his mare, and to his delight felt that she easily quickened her pace, and the thud of Gladiator’s hoofs was again heard at the same distance away.

Vronsky was at the head of the race, just as he wanted to be and as Cord had advised, and now he felt sure of being the winner.  His excitement, his delight, and his tenderness for Frou-Frou grew keener and keener.  He longed to look round again, but he did not dare do this, and tried to be cool and not to urge on his mare so to keep the same reserve of force in her as he felt that Gladiator still kept.  There remained only one obstacle, the most difficult; if he could cross it ahead of the others he would come in first.  He was flying towards the Irish barricade, Frou-Frou and he both together saw the barricade in the distance, and both the man and the mare had a moment’s hesitation.  He saw the uncertainty in the mare’s ears and lifted the whip, but at the same time felt that his fears were groundless; the mare knew what was wanted.  She quickened her pace and rose smoothly, just as he had fancied she would, and as she left the ground gave herself up to the force of her rush, which carried her far beyond the ditch; and with the same rhythm, without effort, with the same leg forward, Frou-Frou fell back into her pace again.

“Bravo, Vronsky!” he heard shouts from a knot of men—­he knew they were his friends in the regiment—­who were standing at the obstacle.  He could not fail to recognize Yashvin’s voice though he did not see him.

“O my sweet!” he said inwardly to Frou-Frou, as he listened for what was happening behind.  “He’s cleared it!” he thought, catching the thud of Gladiator’s hoofs behind him.  There remained only the last ditch, filled with water and five feet wide.  Vronsky did not even look at it, but anxious to get in a long way first began sawing away at the reins, lifting the mare’s head and letting it go in time with her paces.  He felt that the mare was at her very last reserve of strength; not her neck and shoulders merely were wet, but the sweat was standing in drops on her mane, her head, her sharp ears, and her breath came in short,