The Argosy for May — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

THE TIME Spear down to Sheepshead Bay. Never could he have been content to stay in his grille-work cage and perform the mo- notonous round of his duties while a contest of such importance to him was being decided. Nor could he wait to hear the news by ticker, or see it flashed out on the bulletin- boards. He must be where he could see the “ gee-gees”” go round with his own eyes, and know that his horse was a win- ner the moment it passed under the wire. Before he left the bank, though, he duly cashed Spear’s six-thousand-dollar draft, counting out the crisp notes and pushing them across the little glass counter as calmly and perfunctorily as though each one were not weighted with a load of anxious thought. Then, when he had turned the business of his post over to an assistant, he hur- riedly left the bank and slipped around to a little restaurant where it had been prearranged they all should meet. He had been half fearful, in a nervous, uneasy way, that he should not find them there, for it must be confessed that his mind was not quite at peace in regard to that Chicago draft; but they were on hand all right, and, what is more, Corn- ing thrust the five thousand dollars into his hand as soon as he appeared. “But what is that for?” queried Harry. ‘“ Hadn’t you better keep it’to make the bet with?” ‘Oh, I would rather that you placed it yourself, and then you will know it is all right,” rejoined the other ; and, for some strange reason, he waxed so in- sistent on this score that Rock finally yielded. ‘“T won’t go into the betting-ring down at the track, though,” he demurred. “ It would be as much as my position is worth for me to be seen placing a wager of this size at’ such a place. If you insist on my putting the money down, Arthur, you'll have to tell me of some place in town where I can do it before I go.” ‘Oh, that’s easily arranged,” spoke up Spear, who hitherto had not been taking any part in the discussion. “ There’s a pool-room not two blocks above here where they’ll take your bet all right. Just tell the man at the door that Ed Spear sent you, and he’ll let you in without any trouble.” FOR ACTION. 203 Yet,even with this assurance, Harry was a little surprised to discover how easy it was ‘for him to pass within the guarded precincts. He had never visited a resort of the kind before, and from what he had read of the police having to batter their way in with axes and sledges, had sup- posed it to be very difficult to gain ad- mission ; yet the doorman merely nodded to him now oe passed him in without a word. He did not know, however, that ar- rangements had been made for his visit in advance, and that Spear and Corning had followed him to the corner below, so as to give a signal to the watching doorman and indicate that this was the man they meant. ‘ Now,” observed Spear to his compan- ion with a satisfied grin, “ you see they can’t ring us in on it if any trouble comes out of this affair. [1] simply say that the teller forged my name and _ took the money himself, and the facts will tend to bear me out.”’ Meanwhile, Rock, all unconscious of the crafty game set up on him, was mounting the winding stairs and pushing his way past the second guard into the pool-room. The afternoon crowd of patrons had already started to assemble, and were sitting about the stuffy, tobacco-reeking place, exchanging reminiscences, or in- dustriously poring over the ‘ dope” underneath the flaring gas-jets. They glanced up curiously at the stranger; and, as he had no desire to be recognized, this made him more than anxious to get away, especially as he was already far from favorably im- pressed: with -the surroundings. Therefore, he hurried up to a man who seemed to be in some sort of author- ity, and asked if it would be _ possible for him to put down a bet on the fourth race at Sheepshead Bay. “Sure,” replied the functionary gra- ciously, “just make out a slip with your initials and the name of the horse you want to bet on, and slide it along with your bundle into yonder window. We'll give you official closing odds on your pick, and if you win you can call around and get your money down-stairs in the saloon to-night.” Obedient to instructions, accordingly. EOLMICLOO© S