s the reason you
come--just to look at him."

Burton glanced at the crippled trainer with slightly hardened eyes. He
resented this intrusion of the human element into a deal, particularly
when that human element was a girl. It has a way of breaking things up.
However, for a while, things went smoothly, though the conversation was
carried on in lowered tones. Three thousand was the price agreed upon.
It was a good price for Arnold to get if the dog did not win the
championship. It was a poor price if he did.

For to own a national champion means a steady income from his puppies.
It brings fame to the owner and to the trainer. He has trained one
champion--maybe he can train another. Men send him their dogs; his price
goes up, like that of the teacher who had turned out a prima donna. To
own and train a national champion may put a man like Arnold on the map.

And now he was gambling with the chance. His face showed the strain he
was under. However, it was he who set the price. But when Burton,
thinking the matter closed, got out his check book, again the crippled
trainer introduced the element of mystery.

"One minute, sir," he said. "There's something I ought to tell you. I'm
sellin' Drake because I can't afford to take chances on his winnin'. But
I want him to win, sir, just the same as if he was goin' to be mine."

"Well?" said Burton.

"There's one thing goin' to stand in his way. After this year I think
he'll settle down. But right now, I'll be honest with you, Drake's a
bolter. You know what a bolter is, I guess. He's a dog that won't keep
in the course, that will run away. Drake's one of 'em. When you turn him
loose in the field he forgets there's such things as human bein's on
this planet. Don't I know him? I won the Southern Championship with him.
I managed to keep up and hold him in. But I come mighty nigh ridin' a
horse to death. Here's the price I paid myself, sir," and he tenderly
felt his warped and shattered knee, "paid it the last five minutes of
the race."

Burton was silent. Arnold went on:

"There's two people in the world Drake will listen to: One's me an' the
other's Jessie. I can't run him, I'm stove up. Jess is expectin' to run
him. If she does, he may win. If she don't, he won't win. I tell you, I
know. I know that dog inside and out. Nobody but me or the girl can stop
him when he gets started. He'll hunt where he darn pleases, or he'll
strike a bee line for the next state. You know what th