Cruelly he struck his spurs into Wrangle’s flanks.  A light touch of spur was sufficient to make Wrangle plunge.  And now, with a ringing, wild snort, he seemed to double up in muscular convulsions and to shoot forward with an impetus that almost unseated Venters.  The sage blurred by, the trail flashed by, and the wind robbed him of breath and hearing.  Jerry Card turned once more.  And the way he shifted to Black Star showed he had to make his last desperate running.  Venters aimed to the side of the trail and sent a bullet puffing the dust beyond Jerry.  Venters hoped to frighten the rider and get him to take to the sage.  But Jerry returned the shot, and his ball struck dangerously close in the dust at Wrangle’s flying feet.  Venters held his fire then, while the rider emptied his revolver.  For a mile, with Black Star leaving Night behind and doing his utmost, Wrangle did not gain; for another mile he gained little, if at all.  In the third he caught up with the now galloping Night and began to gain rapidly on the other black.

Only a hundred yards now stretched between Black Star and Wrangle.  The giant sorrel thundered on—­and on—­and on.  In every yard he gained a foot.  He was whistling through his nostrils, wringing wet, flying lather, and as hot as fire.  Savage as ever, strong as ever, fast as ever, but each tremendous stride jarred Venters out of the saddle!  Wrangle’s power and spirit and momentum had begun to run him off his legs.  Wrangle’s great race was nearly won—­and run.  Venters seemed to see the expanse before him as a vast, sheeted, purple plain sliding under him.  Black Star moved in it as a blur.  The rider, Jerry Card, appeared a mere dot bobbing dimly.  Wrangle thundered on—­on—­on!  Venters felt the increase in quivering, straining shock after every leap.  Flecks of foam flew into Venters’s eyes, burning him, making him see all the sage as red.  But in that red haze he saw, or seemed to see, Black Star suddenly riderless and with broken gait.  Wrangle thundered on to change his pace with a violent break.  Then Venters pulled him hard.  From run to gallop, gallop to canter, canter to trot, trot to walk, and walk to stop, the great sorrel ended his race.

Venters looked back.  Black Star stood riderless in the trail.  Jerry Card had taken to the sage.  Far up the white trail Night came trotting faithfully down.  Venters leaped off, still half blind, reeling dizzily.  In a moment he had recovered sufficiently to have a care for Wrangle.  Rapidly he took off the saddle and bridle.  The sorrel was reeking, heaving, whistling, shaking.  But he had still the strength to stand, and for him Venters had no fears.

As Venters ran back to Black Star he saw the horse stagger on shaking legs into the sage and go down in a heap.  Upon reaching him Venters removed the saddle and bridle.  Black Star had been killed on his legs, Venters thought.  He had no hope for the stricken horse.  Black Star lay flat, covered with bloody froth, mouth wide, tongue hanging, eyes glaring, and all his beautiful body in convulsions.