oncerning the righteous
man and the seven falls, but this did not keep him from taking the
ordinary precautions when preparing for the eighth start and the
promised rising up. He knew that the big rawboned bay horse Elijah
was a vastly improved animal, but he also desired to know the
company in which Elijah would find himself the next time out. His
investigations, while inconspicuous were thorough, and soon brought
him in contact with the name of an equine stranger.

"Zanzibar, eh?" thought the old man as he left the office of the
racing secretary. "Zanzibar? And Johnson owns him. H'm-m. I'll have
to find out about that one, sure. The others don't amount to much.
But this Zanzibar? If I only had Frank now!"

Since the Bald-faced Kid's retirement from the turf the Curry
secret-service department had consisted of Shanghai and Mose, and
there were times when the shambling hostler could be much wiser than
he looked. It was Shanghai who drew the assignment.

"Boy," said Old Man Curry, "Johnson has got a colt named Zanzibar
that starts next Saturday. I thought I knew all the hosses in
train-in' round here, but I've overlooked this one. Find out all you
can 'bout him."

"Yes, suh!" answered Shanghai. "Bes' way to do that would be to bus'
into a crap game. Misteh Johnson got a couple cullud swipes whut
might know somethin'--crap-shootin' fools, both of 'em--an' whiles
I'm rollin' them bones I could jus' let a few questions slip out.
Yes, suh, that's good way, but when you ain't shoot-in' yo' money in
the game they jus' nachelly don' know you 'mong them present. If you
got couple nice, big, moon-face' dollahs to inves', they can't he'p
but notice you. They got to do it!"

Old Man Curry smiled and dipped two fingers and a thumb into his vest
pocket.

"_Thank_ you, suh!" chuckled Shanghai, trying hard to appear
surprised. "Thank you! This sutny goin' _com_bine business with
pleasuah!"

"Get away with you!" scolded Old Man Curry.

Now, nearly every one knows that the simon-pure feed-box information,
the low-down and the dead-level tip, may be picked up behind any barn
where hostlers, exercise boys, and apprentice jockeys congregate.
Tongues are loosened at such a gathering, and the carefully guarded
secrets of trainers and owners are in danger, for the one absorbing
topic of conversation is horse, and then more horse.

Shanghai knew exactly where to go, and departed on his mission
whistling jubilantly and chinking two