there was a scared Irishman, if you ever
saw one in your life. He threw down the plate, cussin' as only Paddy
can, and swore the brute could run till he'd wore his hoofs off, for all
of him. Well, I takes hold of the Black's head, an' kids him a bit, only
firm-like, and we shod him right enough."

"He is bad tempered, then?" asked Crane.

"No; just wants a fair deal; that's all. You make him believe you're on
the square, an' he'll do what's right. But he hasn't got no use for any
of the guys that gets a cranky play in on him; he won't stand it. I'm
going to put Westley up on him to-day."

"What about The Dutchman?"

"Colley'll do. Any kid can ride him, if they sit still. He's just the
easiest-tempered horse ever looked through a bridle; he knows what's
doin' all the time. But Colley ain't no good on Diablo, an' if he can
smell Shandy, that settles it--it's all over. I'll put Westley up; it
takes a man to ride that horse."

"What about this gallop?" asked Crane; "there'll be spies about trying
to find out things, won't there?"

"Bet yer life, there'll be somebody, sir. It's just like when I was
out in Colorado; you couldn't see a vulture if you traveled forty days,
perhaps, but plant a dead thing anywhere and in an hour the sky simply
rained 'em down. These touts is most like vultures of anything I know;
you've just got to work your stunt to give 'em the go-by, that's all."

Crane took but an apathetic interest in the matters that held full sway
over the Trainer's mind; looking after these incidents was Langdon's
part of the contract.

That was why they were so strong together. Langdon could do it. Just how
the trial was to benefit them alone, with the inevitable tout at hand,
Crane knew not, neither did he investigate; that was up to the Trainer.

They drove into the paddock. Westley, Colley, and the two stable lads
were there.

"Shall we bring out the horses?" asked Westley, as Langdon sat swinging
a leg loosely over the end of the buggy seat.

"Any of the talent about, Bill?"

"Quite likely, though I haven't seen none."

"Well, we'll slip 'em now. Just saddle up careless like, and no
preliminary, mind you. The sharks won't look for a brush till you've
gone around once. Take your mounts down the stretch to the quarter post,
an' then come away the first break; if there's anyone toutin' you off,
they'll think it just a pipe opener, an' won't catch the time. Run out
the mile-an'-a-quarter, make a race of