starts to wise me up like he tells her. I'm a jock in the
play, 'n' I has one line to say. 'He'll win, sir, never fear,' is the
line. What another guy says to me before I says it she calls a cue,
'n' I learns that, too. I don't remember much what goes on that first
day. I gets through my stunt O. K., except what I has to say--somehow,
I can't get it off my chest louder'n a he-mouse can squeak.

"'If any one told me a horse would win, in that tone of voice,' says
the pale guy to me, 'I'd go bet against him!' He keeps me sayin' it
over 'n' over till pretty soon you can hear me nearly three feet away.
'That'll have to do for today,' says the pale guy. 'Everybody here at
two o'clock to-morrow. I'll have the lobby swept out for your
entrance, Daniel Webster,' he says to me.

"I tries the back door fur a change next day and they rehearse all
afternoon. I'm here to say that pale guy is some dispenser of remarks.
At plain 'n' fancy cussin' he's a bear.

"He's got the whole bunch buffaloed, except the chicken. She hands it
back to him when it comes too strong.

"'Pixley,' he says to her once, 'your directions call for a quick exit.
The audience will be able to stand it if you get off stage inside of
ten minutes. Try and remember you are not stalling a Johnny with a
fond farewell in this scene.'

"'That's a real cute crack,' says the chicken. 'But you've got your
dates mixed. I can shoo a Johnny, even if he's in the profession,' she
says, lookin' at him, 'quicker than a bum stage manager can fire a
little chorus girl.'

"The pale guy's name is De Mott. He looks at her hard fur a minute,
then he swallers the dose.

"'Proceed with the act,' he says.

"The show goes great the first night, far as I can see, but De Mott
ain't satisfied.

"'It's dragging! It's dragging!' he keeps sayin' to everybody.

"A minute before I has to walk out on the stage, leadin' Edwin Booth, I
can't think of nothin' but what I has to say. I gets one look at all
them blurry faces, 'n' I goes into a trance.

"'More than life depends on this race!' I hears a voice say, about a
mile off. That's my cue, but all I can remember is to tell him it's a
cinch, 'n' say it loud.

"'The dog cops sure as hell!' I hollers.

"After the act De Mott rushes over tearin' at his collar like it's
chokin' him.

"'Don't you even know the difference between a horse and a dog?' he
yells at me.

"'If you sees this hound cough it up in the stretch o