d." For
some time they were neck and neck. Hot enough they found it, for the
sun was bright, the sand was soft, there was but little air, and what
there was was in their backs. They were lightly clad, to be sure; but
had they worn as little clothing as the most unsophisticated of negroes,
they would have found it hot enough. They puffed, and they blew, and
they strained, but still they persevered. At first neither Rogers nor
Adair cared much about the matter, but they soon got as excited as the
men who carried them, and eager for their respective steeds to win.

"I say, doctor," observed Adair, after they had gone about half the
distance, "the sand inside of us there, along the lagoon, looks hard.
It would not take us much out of our way if we were to go there, and you
would then get along famously." Terence intended to give good counsel,
and the doctor followed it. To his great delight he found the ground
hard, and was getting on at a great rate. Jack urged Mr Stokes to take
the same route.

"Stay a bit; all is not gold that glitters," was the answer. "That's
treacherous sort of ground."

"But see, see how magnificently they get along," cried Jack, again
wishing that he had a bridle to guide his refractory steed.

All this time the umpires and other spectators were keeping up merry
shouts of laughter.

"There they go," shouted Jack; "they will be round the trees in no
time."

Just as he spoke there was a loud hullabaloo from Terence, echoed by the
doctor. Over they both went head first, but the doctor's heels did not
follow, for they had stuck fast in the mud, into which poor Terence's
head plunged with a loud thud. The doctor heroically endeavoured to
pull him out, but his own legs only stuck deeper and deeper. As the
marine officer came up and passed by them, he began capering about and
neighing in triumph, while Jack barbarously inquired whether they would
like to have a tow. At last Terence, covered with mud, black and most
ill-odorous, scrambled out, and, by throwing to him the end of his
handkerchief, contrived to haul out the doctor, who once more took him
on his shoulders, and in sorry plight continued his course. Jack looked
round and saw them coming just as Mr Stokes was about to round the
palm-trees. He crowed loudly and waved his hand. It would have been
wiser, however, if he had not begun to triumph so soon, for his steed's
foot catching in a falling and half-hidden branch, over they