Fango and Minkie in pursuit. He seemed less stiff now--he
ran more like himself; but a little past the Stand he was turned by
Fango and again by Minkie, and back and across, and here and there,
leaping frantically and barely eluding his foes. For several minutes it
lasted. Mickey could see that Jack's ears were sinking. The new Dog
leaped. Jack dodged almost under him to escape, and back only to meet
the second Dog; and now both ears were flat on his back. But the Hounds
were suffering too. Their tongues were lolling out; their jaws and
heaving sides were splashed with foam. The Warhorse's ears went up
again. His courage seemed to revive in their distress. He made a
straight dash for the Haven; but the straight dash was just what the
Hounds could do, and within a hundred yards he was turned again, to
begin another desperate game of zigzag. Then the dog-men saw danger for
their Dogs, and two new ones were slipped--two fresh Hounds; surely
they could end the race. But they did not. The first two were
vanquished--gasping--out of it, but the next two were racing near. The
Warhorse put forth all his strength. He left the first two far
behind--was nearly to the Haven when the second two came up.

Nothing but dodging could save him now. His ears were sinking, his
heart was pattering on his ribs, but his spirit was strong. He flung
himself in wildest zigzags. The Hounds tumbled over each other. Again
and again they thought they had him. One of them snapped off the end of
his long black tail, yet he escaped; but he could not get to the Haven.
The luck was against him. He was forced nearer to the Grand Stand. A
thousand ladies were watching. The time limit was up. The second Dogs
were suffering, when Mickey came running, yelling like a
madman--words--imprecations--crazy sounds:

"Ye blackguard hoodlums! Ye dhirty, cowardly bastes!" and he rushed
furiously at the Dogs, intent to do them bodily harm.

Officers came running and shouting, and Mickey, shrieking hatred and
defiance, was dragged from the field, reviling Dogs and men with every
horrid, insulting name he could think of or invent.

"Fair play! Whayer's yer fair play, ye liars, ye dhirty cheats, ye
bloody cowards!" And they drove him from the arena. The last he saw of
it was the four foaming Dogs feebly dodging after a weak and worn-out
Jack-rabbit, and the judge on his Horse beckoning to the man with the
gun.

The gate closed behind him, and Mickey heard a bang-bang,