An hour and a half had passed. There remained but a single contestant
at Prairie-du-chien. Word was sent back and forth by telephone every
five minutes as to the order of the racers. Midway between Madison
and Milwaukee, the lead was held by a machine of Renault brothers,
four cylindered, of twenty horsepower, and with Michelin tires. It
was closely followed by a Harvard-Watson car and by a Dion-Bouton.
Some accidents had already occurred, other machines were hopelessly
behind. Not more than a dozen would contest the finish. Several
chauffeurs had been injured, but not seriously. And even had they
been killed, the death of men is but a detail, not considered of
great importance in that astonishing country of America.

Naturally the excitement became more intense as one approached the
finishing line near Milwaukee. There were assembled the most curious,
the most interested; and there the passions of the moment were
unchained. By ten o'clock it was evident, that the first prize,
twenty thousand dollars, lay between five machines, two American, two
French, and one English. Imagine, therefore, the fury with which bets
were being made under the influence of national pride. The regular
book makers could scarcely meet the demands of those who wished to
wager. Offers and amounts were hurled from lip to lip with feverish
rapidity. "One to three on the Harvard-Watson!"

"One to two on the Dion-Bouton!"

"Even money on the Renault!"

These cries rang along the line of spectators at each new
announcement from the telephones.