Immediately after the third heat was finished, and before the time was announced, William A. Bradley, who championed the colored boy during the entire season, issued a challenge to race Taylor against Michael for $5,000 or $10,000 a side at any distance up to one hundred miles.
THE COLORED YOUTH LIONIZED.
This declaration was received with tumultuous shouts by the assemblage, and the colored victor was lionized when the time was made known.
Edouard Taylore, the French rider, held the world's record of 1:45 3-5 for the distance in a contest paced from a standing start.
[Illustration: COLEMAN COTTON MILL.]
THE WORLD'S RECORD LOWERED.
The world's record against time from a standing start, made by Platt Betts, of England, was 1:43 2-5. Michael beat Taylore's record by 1 2-5 seconds in the first heat, but Major Taylor wiped this out and tied Betts' record against time in the second heat. As Taylor was on the outside for nearly two and a half laps, it was easily seen that he rode more than a mile in the time, and shrewd judges who watched the race said that he would surely do better on the third attempt.
PALE AS A CORPSE.
That he fully justified this belief goes without saying.