FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  
h for the 'Eclipse,' sir, dashed if I don't. I worked her the distance, and she shaded the time they made last year." "What's the use," said Porter, dejectedly; "where'll we get a boy?" "Oh, lots of the boys are straight." "I know that," Porter answered, "but all the straight ones are tied hand and foot to the big stables." "I've been thinkin' it over," hazarded Dixon, tentatively--"Boston Bill's got a good lad--there's none of them can put it over him, an' his boss ain't got nothin' in the 'Eclipse,' I know." "That means the same old game, Andy; we nurse the horse, get him into condition, place him where he can win, and then turn him over to a plunger and take the small end of the divide. Boston Bill would back her off the boards. "The stake'd mount up to seven or eight thousand, an' the win would square the little mare with the public." "And I'd do that, if I didn't land a dollar," said Porter. "Andy, it hurt me more to see the filly banged about there in the ruck than it did giving up the money." The Trainer smiled. With him this was unusual; there was a popular superstition that he never smiled except when one of his horses won. But his heart expanded at Porter's words, for he, too, was fond of the little mare. Then Porter spoke again, abruptly, and fast, as though he feared he might change his mind: "They downed me last trip, Dixon--I guess I'm getting a bit slow in my paces; and you do just as you like--arrange with Boston Bill if you think it's good business. He makes a specialty of winning races--not pulling horses, and we need a win, too, I guess." "Thank you, sir. We'll land that stake; an' p'raps the sharp division'll take a tumble. I'll bet a dollar they'll go for The Dutchman--he ran a great race the other day, an' he's in the Eclipse--if they start him. Lurcetia's right on edge, she's lookin' for the key hole, an' may go back if we don't give her a race. We'd better get the money for the oat bill while it's in sight. She oughter be a long price in the bettin', too," continued Dixon, meditatively; "the public soon sour on a beaten horse. You'll have a chance to get even." "I don't like that part of it," muttered Porter; "I'm in the black books now. People have no reason at all--no sense; they've got it into their heads that dirty job was of my making, and if the filly starts at ten to one, and I win a bit, they'll howl." "You can't make a success of racin', sir, an' run your stable
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Porter
 
Eclipse
 
Boston
 

dollar

 
smiled
 

public

 

horses

 

straight

 
Dutchman
 

winning


arrange

 
business
 

downed

 

specialty

 

division

 

pulling

 

tumble

 

People

 
reason
 

chance


muttered

 

success

 

stable

 

making

 
starts
 

beaten

 
lookin
 

Lurcetia

 

bettin

 

continued


meditatively

 

oughter

 
thinkin
 

hazarded

 

tentatively

 

nothin

 

plunger

 

condition

 

stables

 

shaded


dashed

 

worked

 

distance

 

dejectedly

 

answered

 

expanded

 

unusual

 

popular

 

superstition

 

feared