Pulp Fiction, 1943 · page 86 of 116
12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 86: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is **story prose** from page 84 of a pulp magazine titled "12 Sports Aces." The text concludes a horse-racing narrative in which Willie explains to Curley how he solved a scheme involving twin foals. Willie reveals he discovered that a crooked horseman had hidden one of two twin colts and sold it separately, then secretly recovered the superior horse (Melody Lane) to race it himself—making him technically a horse thief, though he frames his actions as justified by helping people in need. The passage ends with Curley admitting Willie's cunning is unbeatable.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
84 . 12 SPORTS ACES © o Bre Ber Bee Der Bee Gor GH Pe G+nPt G0} HO Bre Per or See Poo Per Geo Por Boo Ber Ooo Gir Be + D0 De + Be De Hoe Bs Dre See Ore By Or yrs Oo Bss DoD re Bee B41 Do Der Per Por Ser or G01 Pee Ge Ver Bor GerGrrGeo > the good. Curley wasn’t worried. He ‘had time and distance and an armful of horse left. His hands and heels pumped encour- agement, A sixteenth out they picked up Tobacco Bax, and Curley knew it was all over. He almost waved to the other boy as they went by. The crowd’s crashing ac- claim as Melody Lane flashed across the _wire was the sweetest sound Curley had ever heard. He’d never question Willie again, The guy knew everything. Willie, old man Rodgers and Cap’n were waiting when Curley brought Melody Lane back, The judges nodded at Cur- ley’s waving bat. The race hadn’t even been close. The three were still waiting when Cur- ley came out from the scale room. Willie said, “Mac and Cap’n want to buy Melody Lane. They'll pay for him out of the purses they win.” He walked off down the track with Curley. “You’ll be mailing another check,” Cur- Jey said sourly. “You know of a better place for it to go?” Willie asked. “No,” Curley said honestly. “I’m just griping from habit. I’m glad we’re send- ing that dough.” He grinned broadly. ‘That twin horse stuff was all a dream, huh, Willie?” Willie matehed his grin. “T’ll bet Soap is trying to find some answers. That guy’s getting slicker, Curley, I'll have to watch him. He almest hooked me.” He looked at Curley’s faee and laughed. “Twin foals all right. Maddux didn’t know about it. His foreman saw a chance to make some quick dough, He hid one of the foals, then sold him to another horse- man. There was the best of blood lines in that colt. The herseman could register him as coming from one of bis own mares. “Tt’d take a shady horseman to pull it, and one nearby Maddux. The foreman couldn’t transport the colt very far. He was too young. I picked out the guys around Maddux I thought might have tried something like that. Funny thing, the crooked horseman got the foal with no speed. It happens that way in twins. One has the speed, the other’s the dud. That’s why the twin was never heard of —he wasn’t worth racing.” ~ Curley’s mouth was open. “But I don’t see—” “IT sent Gap’n out to those farms under suspicion, He had to sneak around, look- ing over all the horses, until he found Melody Lane. It almost took him too long. We loaded up the twin last night and slipped out there. We changed horses and brought Melody Lane back with us. I’m a horse thief, Curley.” “Did we see Melody Lane run that first day?” | “Yeah, that was Melody Lane all right. Soap knew about the twins and set this up. After I bought Melody Lane he rang the twin in that night and sent Mel- ody Lane out to the farm. The Colonel was — just a stooge for Soap. I fell for his daughter’s sob story, though. That gripes me.” He went on, “If I found out Melody Lane wouldn’t run I was still out the pur- chase price. And if I did go ahead and bet, Soap had me doubly hooked. What are you grinning about?” “You broke all your rules and still came out on top. ¥ou bought a horse and mixed dames with business, Tell me you're not lucky,” Curley jeered. “I didn’t break them all,” Willie said calmly. “Remember that one about help- ing guys? Suppose I turned Cap’n down that day. Would he have looked me up again? Would I have found out about Melody Lane?” Curley sighed, You couldn’t beat this Willie guy Gomichbooks (co)