Life — July 4, 1901 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

pe Ga tions of their investment and was still absorbed, with the glass glued to the circling mass of horses and color on the back-stretch. “They're off!” suddenly sprang from hundreds of throats on the grand stand, as the horses darted forward in a compact bunch. “Oh, Sam!” almost screamed Mrs. Swimbleton, “look at poor Tartarus. He’s standing still.” Sure enough, Tartarus was still‘ at the starting-post looking about him as though for some new object to bite or kick. Fortu- nately for the Swimbletons the starting-flag did not fall, and the bunch was brought back to try again for a start. Tartarus was brought over towards the starter’s stand, while that official gave his jockey some apparently very forcible instructions. At all events, when they began circling again Tartarus was seen a couple of lengths back of the rest of the horses pulling off his jockey’s arms in the desire to get among them, presumably for the purpose of kicking 6r biting. Another cry of “ They’re off! "—which this time proved true—and Tartarus, the pressure on his mouth 2 / “WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY HERE?” SAYS THE HOG. races in which he would be permitted to exercise his own su- perior judgment, he placed the ten dollars at the comfortable odds of fifteen to one, meaning that if, by some unheard-of chance, Tartarus should win, the generous bookmaker would give him back the original ten dollars and one hundred and fifty dollars besides. “What'd you bet on?” asked a friendly tout as Sam left the book- arus, straight,” replied Sam. “ He ain't got a chance on earth,” said the tout. ‘He's meaner'n dirt, and it’s a ten to one shot he gets left at the post. Go on back an’ puta five spot on Jimmy Seadden for a place. He's boun’ to win, but there's a good price against him one, two.” ged to escape the tout and his disinterested advice just in time join his wife as the horses were coming from the paddock. Mrs. Swimbleton was vainly trying to see them through the wrong end of the ! Sam showed her how to focus the glass and bring the horses into the field of vision, but as they marched by the stand in single file, they were so close that no glass was needed to make him realize that what the tout had told him about the bad temper of Tartarus was perfectly true. His jockey had hard work to keep him in line, and the animal's energies were divided between trying to shake the bit out of his mouth SELL PORS| SOU: ROR ate. and to kick the horse directly behind him. ‘The parade over, the horses started to canter to the start on the far side of the track—all except Tar- relaxed, was not only among them, but through them. Within tarus, who wheeled and made a bolt the wrong way of the track. Bythe a dozen lengths of the start the white and blue spots could be time he reached the starting-post his jockey had him under control seen clear of the ruck, and at the first eighth there were three nst the darker ones of his com- good lengths between Tartarus and the rest running well petitors, could be seen circling with the others in the usual process of together. At the quarter he had increased this to six or seven, getting the horses into line before the barrier. and the regulars on the grand stand, who had jumped to their Mrs. Swimbleton, in the novelty of the sight and in her excitement over feet at the start, were beginning to settle back in their seats Tartarus’s apparent runaway, had neglected to ask Sam about the condi- and scan the entries in the next race. At the last turn . ww comicbooks.com