Воспоминания Шерлока Холмса

           "FivetofouragainstSilverBlaze!FivetofifteenagainstDesborough!Fivetofouronthefield!"

           "Therearethenumbersup,"Icried."Theyareallsixthere."

           "Allsixthere?Thenmyhorseisrunning,"criedthecolonelingreatagitation."ButIdon’tseehim.Mycolourshavenotpassed."

           "Onlyfivehavepassed.Thismustbehe."

           AsIspokeapowerfulbayhorsesweptoutfromtheweighingenclosureandcanteredpastus,bearingonitsbackthewell-knownblackandredofthecolonel.

           "That’snotmyhorse,"criedtheowner."Thatbeasthasnotawhitehairuponitsbody.Whatisthisthatyouhavedone,Mr.Holmes?"

           "Well,well,letusseehowhegetson,"saidmyfriendimperturbably.Forafewminuteshegazedthroughmyfieldglass."Capital!Anexcellentstart!"hecriedsuddenly."Theretheyare,comingroundthecurve!"

           Fromourdragwehadasuperbviewastheycameupthestraight.Thesixhorsesweresoclosetogetherthatacarpetcouldhavecoveredthem,buthalfwayuptheyellowoftheMapletonstableshowedtothefront.Beforetheyreachedus,however,Desborough’sboltwasshot,andthecolonel’shorse,comingawaywitharush,passedthepostagoodsixlengthsbeforeitsrival,theDukeofBalmoral’sIrismakingabadthird.

           "It’smyrace,anyhow,"gaspedthecolonel,passinghishandoverhiseyes."IconfessthatIcanmakeneitherheadnortailofit.