But just you try a second time, and I'll show you who is the best man." Meanwhile the other competitors had come up, and Martin hastened to explain how it was that the stranger had got in quicker than himself.

He had a hundred good reasons for it at the very least.
The stranger allowed him to have his say in peace, and, full of good humour, returned to take his place again in the ranks of the competitors.

His modest self-reliance and forbearance quite won for him the sympathy of the crowd, which was disgusted at the arrogance of Martin, and in the carriages of the gentry wagers began to be laid, and the betting was ten to one on the stranger winning all three races.
The mortars were again loaded, the youths were once more placed in a row, and at the third report the competing band again plunged forward.
Now also the two rival horses drew away from the other competitors.

In the middle of the course they were a length ahead of the foremost racers, and side by side urged their steeds strenuously towards the goal.

Almost to the very end of the course neither was able to outstrip the other; but when they were scarce fifty paces from the flag, the stranger suddenly gave a loud smack with his whip, whereupon his steed, responding to the stimulus, took a frantic bound forward, outstripping Martin's steed by a head, and this distance was maintained between them unaltered to the very end of the race, though the Whitsun King savagely laid about his foaming horse with his whip-handle.