Peewee comes on 'n' grabs the gravy.

"We figger the rubes'll eat it up after seein' that nice-lookin' black
stud romp away with the first heat. But right there the dope falls
down--the rubes ain't as dead as they look.

"In the first town we strike I eases up to a tall Jasper after the
black hoss has grabbed the opener on the bit.

"'Say, pardner,' I says, 'do you ever bet a piece of money on a race?'

"This Jasper is just a Adam's apple surrounded by arms 'n' legs.

"'Well, I should say as much,' he says. 'But most ginrally they wan't
nobody bet with me. Up in Liberty Township the boys call me Lucky
Andy.'

"'It's a crime to do this!' I says to myself. 'I'll make a little bet
with you, pardner,' I says out loud. 'Not much though--you're too
lucky!'

"'How was ye calkewlatin' to bet?' says the Jasper.

"'This black hoss acted kind-a tired to me,' I says. 'I'll just bet
you twenty bucks he don't win the race.'

"'You look like a smart little cuss,' he says. 'What's good enough fer
you is good enough fer me.' He beats it over to where another rube is
settin' in a buggy. 'Hi, Bill!' says my Jasper, 'I'll just bet ye
fifty cents the black hawse dun't win the race--even if I do lose!'

"That's the way it goes right along--the rubes stay away from it. Once
in a while I finds a mark but not often. We win a purse though in
every town 'n' this just about pays expenses. We ain't makin' nothin'
much, but we ain't losin' nothin' neither. We're eatin' regular 'n'
enjoyin' ourselves, except Butsy. _He_ wouldn't enjoy hisself at a dog
fight.

"This Butsy Trimble is a thin solemn gink 'n' he almost never cracks a
smile. He's got it doped out that everybody's agin him. Peewee 'n' me
has knocked around together so much we knows each other's ways, but we
ain't never had much to do with this Butsy, so we ain't wise to him at
first.

"It ain't long till Butsy begins to figger we're tryin' to hand it to
him. He gets sour-balled about everythin' we does. We try to kid him,
but he ain't hep to a kid 'n' he don't stand fur it like he'd ought.
His favorite stunt is to say he'll take his hoss 'n' quit. He springs
this right along.

"From the start this trip gets to Peewee's funny bone. He don't do
nothin' but laugh. Butsy don't see nothin' funny about it, 'n' he gets
to thinkin' Peewee's laughin' at him.

"Peewee'll lay in the stall at night 'n' laugh 'n' laugh. Pretty soon
he'll get me goin', 'n' then we'