Theracewasabouthalfamileandreturn，thefirstandlastquartersbeingupontheice.Thecourse，afterleavingtheice，ledupfromtheriverbyalongeasyslopetothelevelabove;andatthefurtherendcurvedsomewhatsharplyroundtheOldFort.Theonlyconditionattachingtotheracewasthattheteamsshouldstartfromthescratch，maketheturnoftheFort，andfinishatthescratch.Therewerenovexingregulationsastofouls.Themanmakingthefoulwouldfinditnecessarytoreckonwiththecrowd，whichwasconsideredsufficientguaranteeforafairandsquarerace.Owingtothehazardsofthecourse，theresultwoulddependupontheskillofthedriversquiteasmuchasuponthespeedoftheteams.ThepointsofhazardwereattheturnroundtheOldFort，andatalittleravinewhichleddowntotheriver，overwhichtheroadpassedbymeansofalonglogbridgeorcauseway.
Fromapointuponthehighbankoftheriverthewholecourselayinopenview.Itwasascenefulloflifeandvividlypicturesque.
Therewereminersindarkclothesandpeakcaps;citizensinordinarygarb;ranchmeninwidecowboyhatsandbuckskinshirtsandleggings，somewithcartridge—beltsandpistols;afewhalf—breedsandIndiansinhalf—native，half—civiliseddress;andscatteringthroughthecrowdthelumbermenwithgayscarletandblueblanketcoats，andsomewithknittedtuquesofthesamecolours.Averygood—naturedbutextremelyuncertaincrowditwas.Attheheadofeachhorsestoodaman，butatthepintos’headsBaptistestoodalone，tryingtoholddowntheoffleader，thrownintoafrenzyoffearbytheyellingofthecrowd.
Graduallyallbecamequiet，till，inthemidstofabsolutestillness，camethewords，’Areyouready？’，thenthepistol—shotandthegreatracehadbegun.AbovetheroarofthecrowdcametheshrillcryofBaptiste，ashestruckhisbronchowiththepalmofhishand，andswunghimselfintothesleighbesideSandy，asitshotpast.
Likeaflashthebronchossprangtothefront，twolengthsbeforetheotherteams;but，terrifiedbytheyellingofthecrowd，insteadofbendingtotheleftbankupwhichtheroadwound，theywheeledtotherightandwerealmostacrosstheriverbeforeSandycouldswingthembackintothecourse.