“Five mile!” cried the judge, decked in rosette of blue;
Whiz! went our front wheels as past him we flew:
And loud were the public with cheer and with jest,
As round the first lap we sped on abreast.
Not a word to each other; we kept the great pace
Yard by yard, wheel by wheel, never changing our place:
And firm in my saddle—prepared for each swerve—
I steadied each muscle and braced up my nerve,
Reserving my whole strength, kept pace with the two,