r go to?' I says to the barkeep.

"'It's nothin' but an exit,' he says.

"'That's right in my line,' I says. 'I'll take a chance at it.'

"When I opens the door I hears a telegraph machine goin'.

"'Just like mother used to make,' I says out loud, 'n' follows down a
dark hall to the poolroom.

"I watches the New Awlins entries chalked up 'n' I sees a hoss called
Tea Kettle in the third race. Now this Tea Kettle ain't a bad pup.
He's owned by a couple of wise Ikes who never let him win till the odds
are right. Eddie Murphy has this hoss 'n' Duckfoot Johnson's swipin'
him.'

"'I wish I knew what they're doin' with that Tea Kettle to-day,' I says
to myself, when I've looked 'em all over.

"I've been settin' there fur quite a while when a nigger comes in. I
don't pay no attention to him at first, but I happen to see him fish a
telegram out of his pocket 'n' look at it.

"'That ole nigger's got some dope,' I says to myself. 'I'll amble over
'n' try to kid it out of him.'

"I mosies over to where he's settin'. He puts the wire in his pocket
when he sees me comin'. I sets down beside him 'n' goes to readin' the
paper. Pretty soon I folds up the paper 'n' looks at the board.

"'That Tea Kettle might come through,' I says to the ole nigger.

"'Dat ain' likely,' he says. 'He ain' won fo' a coon's aige.'

"'I talks to his swipe not very long ago,' I says, ''n' he tells me
he's good.'

"The ole nigger looks at me hard.

"'Whar does you hol' dis convahsation at?' he says.

"'Sheepshead,' I says.

"'Does you reccomember de name ob de swipe?' says the ole nigger.

"'Sure!' I says, 'I've knowed _him_ all my life! His name is Duckfoot
Johnson.'

"'Yes, suh!' he says. 'Yes, suh--an' what mought yo' name be?'

"'Blister Jones,' I says.

"'Why, man!' he says, 'I've heard ob you frequen'ly. Ma name am
Johnson. Duckfoot is ma boy; hyars a tellegam fum him!'

"He pulls out the wire. 'T. K. in the third,' it says. I looks up at
the board--Tea Kettle's twelve-to-one.

"I goes out of that poolroom on the jump 'n' runs all the way to the
hotel. The chicken ain't in her room. I falls down-stairs 'n' looks
all around--nothin' doin'. All of a sudden I sees her in the telephone
booth.

"'Gimme that six bones quick!' I says when I've got the glass door
open. She puts her hand over the phone.

"'Here, it's in my bag,' she says.

"I grabs the bag 'n' beats it. I gets the change out on my way back to
t