ou double-crossed 'em with Elijah, and then you got
Weaver and Murphy ruled off. At first Engle thought you was only
ignorant but shot full of blind luck. Lately he ain't been so sure
about the ignorance. Engle hates to give anybody else credit for
being wise to the angles around this track."

"Solomon said something about him," remarked Old Man Curry gravely.

"Go ahead; pull it!" said the Kid.

"'Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a
fool than of him.' That's what Solomon thought about the Engle
family, son."

"Well, if I was you I wouldn't lay any fancy odds that Engle is a
fool," warned the Kid. "There's one baby that you've got to figure on
every minute. You've got a horse in your barn that Engle is watching
like a hawk."

"Elisha?"

"Elisha. When does he start the next time?"

"In the Handicap."

"The Handicap, eh? You must think pretty well of him. Some good
horses in that race. Well, there won't be a price on him worth
taking; you can bet on that."

Old Man Curry opened his eyes wide for the first time.

"No price on him! Nonsense! He's a selling plater going up agin
so-called stake horses! No price! Huh!"

"Even so, nevertheless, notwithstanding, and but," said the Kid with
exasperating calmness, "you won't get a price on him. I can quote
some myself. The voice of wisdom is speaking to you."

"But he ain't never done anything that would justify starting him
with stake hosses," argued Old Man Curry, feeling in his pockets for
his fine-cut.

"Is there any law to prevent 'em figuring that he might?"

"But why is Engle worrying about the price on my hosses?" demanded
Curry.

"Maybe to get even for what you've done to him. Maybe because he's
got some sort of an agreement with Abe Goldmark. You know Abe?"

"By sight, son, by sight. And that's the only way I want to know
him."

"You and me both," said the Kid quickly. "I don't like that fellow's
face or the way he wears it, but you can't afford to overlook him any
more than you can overlook a rattlesnake. Goldmark is another one of
the wise boys. He runs one book, but he's under cover with an
interest in five or six more. He comes pretty near being a
combination in restraint of trade, Goldmark does. The Handicap is
going to be the big betting race of the meeting. Goldmark has been
tipped to keep his eye out for Elisha. On Elisha's record he ought to
be 15 or 20 to 1."

"Longer than that!" said Old Man Curry.

"I'