Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

176 THE ARGOSY. The first person I spied was Tom Jackson, mad as a March hare, and shouting an advance of ten dollars on my bid. Then began a battle royal for the possession of that horse. In all his wild dreams the proprietor of that exchange never realized such ideal auctioneer- ing as this was. He must have hugged himself that he had let two persons know that the “ bay with a nicked ear ”’ was to be sold on that day. There stood that beast that was not worth five dollars, in the center of an excited circle of spectators, with his ears forward and head down between his legs. oe Every other bidder except Jackson and myself had dropped out long before the price had entered the twenties. Now he and I were ascending the ladder ten dollars at a time. ‘Four hundred and twenty, four thirty, forty, fifty "—the auctioneer’s arm would swing like the pendulum of a clock between Jackson and me. Five, six hundred had been passed, and I glanced around for Hogan. He was gone. I forgot all about his absence in a bit of especially lively bidding that happened then. | We had boosted the price of that old boneyard up to one thousand and fifteen dollars, when I noticed a disturbance on the other side of the crowd. I saw the cause in a minute. Hogan was pushing his way into the ring about santy, and following him was officer “ Con ” Kelly, my rescuer from imprison- ment in Jackson’s rooms. “ There’s your man, officer!”’ Hogan’s voice squeaked with excitement. ‘ He’s the man I swore out a warrant for. Pull him in!” Jackson turned as a white cotton gloved hand landed none too gently on his collar, and Kelly said: “Come with me, young feller.” The auctioneer kept right on. “One thousand and fifteen, fifteen, fifteen. Once, twice; going, going, gone, to that gentleman over there with his hat off.” I rushed in and put my hand on Santy’s head and called the beast by name. He swished his tail and nodded his head, and then relapsed into his former semicomatose state as if he didn’t in the least realize that he had cost me about two hundred times what he was really worth. My cabby brought me to my senses again. ‘“ Say, Mr. Knowlton, does yer want to force de charge aga’n the lobster what locked yer in his room?” I thought not. I went into the office of the stable with the policeman, the cab driver, and my enemy, Jackson. ‘‘ Jackson,” said I, when the door was closed. “ you thought thet you were a very foxy person, didn’t you? But you’ve got to be born and brought up in New York to beat a New Yorker. My friends here, Hogan and Officer Kelly, have saved me from losing that horse and endangering the life of Mr. Harrison Davis. ‘Now, I don’t care to get you into the public print, on account of your past friendship with Miss Stafford, so I will go to the station in Mr. Hogan’s cab with you and get you discharged. Then Officer Kelly will give you just — ECOMINICMDOO UN ceo