him to beat Topaz?" snarled the Kid. "On
his past performance he ain't even in the same class with horses like
he beat to-day!"

Old Man Curry smiled and returned to Solomon.

"'A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not, but knowledge is easy
unto him that understandeth.'"

"Yes--'unto him that understandeth!' That's the point; I don't
understand. Nobody understands. Here's a dead horse come to life and
he's got everybody guessing. Miracles are all right, but I'm never
going to bet on one until I know how it's done. Say, old-timer, ain't
you going to tell me what's happened to Eliphaz?"

"No, but I'll tell you what Solomon says 'bout a loose tongue, my
son." Old Man Curry paused, for he was addressing the vanishing coat
tails of a much-disgusted young man. The Bald-faced Kid took himself
off in a highly inflamed state of mind, and the patriarch, looking
after him, shook his head sorrowfully.

"'How much better is it to get wisdom than gold,'" he quoted, "but
Frank, now--he wants 'em both at the same time!"

There were others who were earnest in their search for information,
which became acute when Eliphaz, late Fairfax, won his fourth race, a
brilliant victory over the best horses at the track. Among the
seekers after knowledge, were Al Engle and Martin O'Connor, horsemen
and turf pirates with whom Old Man Curry had been at war for some
time. Engle, sometimes called The Sharpshooter, was the chief
conspirator; O'Connor was his lieutenant. Engle, who was responsible
for the skirmishes with Curry, had begun operations with the theory
that Old Man Curry was a harmless, brainless individual, "shot full
of luck," he expressed it. Circumstances had caused him to alter his
opinion somewhat; he no longer pitied the owner of Eliphaz and
Elisha; he suspected him. O'Connor went even farther. He respected
and feared everything bearing the Curry tag, the latter feeling
amounting almost to superstition.

These two unworthies discussed the resurrection of Fairfax, the place
of the confab being O'Connor's tackle-room and the time being the
night following the fourth straight victory of the Curry colours as
borne by Eliphaz.

"If it ain't hop he's using on that horse," said O'Connor, "I wish
you'd tell me what it is. A month ago Fairfax was a bum; now he's
pretty near a stake horse and getting better every time he starts.
Why couldn't we have a smart 'vet' look him over on the sly before he
goes to the post the next time?