A Plucky Recehorse Runs His Legs Off.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3011, 9 October 1878, Page 1

A Plucky Recehorse Runs His Legs Off.

The second day came. It was lovely, bright and charming enough for a young queen's coronation. ■ The programme was splendid, and lone before the .horses w«re called to the' post in the first race the grounds were absolutely alive with people. •They came from all quarters, and in every possible way. The delegation of the fair .sex was especially strong, and they enjoyed the sport wonderfully. The Greely stakes, a dash' of Ihree miles foe all ages, was the opening race. Of twenty*.' two nominations, Maulstick, M'Whirter, Joe Khodes, and Bed Bluff came to the Post. They got a good start, when M'Whirter darted to the front like a red' man's arrow from a well sprung bow. i Before he reached the first turn Mahlstick joined him, and the pair raced like twin brothers tor two-miles. There was no advantage in favour of either. As they approached the distance on the second mile, not more than 75 yards from the wire, .

M'Whirter faltered. He bad been ill of a leg since last fall, but when ho faltered it seemed to be from tha^well front leg, and not the weak one. He lost his stride for the moment, changed feet, regained a neck which he had lost, and passed the itand head and head with his adversary. Kfiy yards further and he gave away in the other leg, and Mahlstick drew.rapidly away from him. Still M'Whirter showed no disposition to quit, and the foolish little l>oy on him made no attempt to force him. to do so. With the tendons .gone in both front legs he kept moving, but gradually, like the dying out of the flickering light .of an exhausted .candle,, his pace grew more and more difficult/his stride shorter and shorter, until just as he passed the half-mile pole the cannon bones forced their way through the skin, and he came sear falling. ■ The lad was dislodged from the saddle but held to the horse. The crowd disregarded the race, and rushed to the noble animal who had, made so despnrate and remarkable an effort to dp his master's will, who had absolutely performed the long talked and written of, but never before realised, feat of running his legs off. General Budford, his owner, was sent for. His recovery Was utterly impossible. He could only linger ,in pain, and die at last. To relieve him, and in sheer mercy, his master with a sad heart and tearful eyes, passed, sentence upon him, and he was then and there shot. 'Twas a ' sad'sight.: I sawmen, brave men, who had breasted storms of bullets in fearful conflicts, melt to tears, and in the grand stand the ladies wept bitter grief at the death of the horse they had but a few momenks before declared to be the handsomest animal they had ever seen. He was a beautiful horse, of;perfect symmetry, with action as elastic as a rubber ball; all style, all form, all proportion, except his courage, and that— what it was% the crowning act of his life writes his own history in characters more indelible than time itself. He was buried near the spot, under a beautiful tree, and the people of St. .Louis declare, that above him shall stand* a 'monument, • Sacred,to, the,,memory,,of M'Whirter.' General Budford was a good soldier, but ioldjeys,are seldom, philosophers. He i§ riotf He did ridt recover bis usual spirits during the remainder of the meeting: and the whole tt.rowd weresgloonty during the day. The sport went on, but that wild enthusiasmoflhejearly-morningand previous (Jay, which found relief in wild shouts of animated joy. was hushed. There was a pall over .the assembling thousands. They mourned as, if the great had gone, the good departed., 'Twas the saddest day I ever witnessed on a racecourse. May Inever see its like again.—St. Louis correspondent Wilkes' Spirit of the Times.