Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 472 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ll —_—_ — —_—~-- Bm ante ee quickly. occasion more sporting men ha 14 me ---——™ “What's the scheme? ‘‘ Well, Maple Leaf is going to be prime fav- -orite, though he has never beaten 1:47. Zeke K., record half a second slower, will probably be second favorite, and Buckeye Maid ma stand third. Valley Vic, Jolly Boy and Black Jack wili be Jumped as the ‘field,’ but do you know, I believe Black Jack can knock Maple Leaf and Zeke K., silly?” ‘‘The two favorites? Then wheredo you come in?” Banker placed his finger on the name ‘‘ Buck- eye Maid. ‘* Right there!” ‘‘ Ah! You evidently have a sharp trick on the hooks. What is it?’ and Allen began to be more interested, ‘‘Tll tell you. Fix your eagle-eye on Buckeye Maid. She purports to be a Western horse with ‘a record of 1:47, but as it is doubtful, she don’t seem likely to sell high.. Really, she is no Western horse, but a New Hampshire flyer, good for 1:45 any day—that’s her record—and liable to do forty-four to-morrow.” ‘‘ Ha! IthinkIsee, You’ve slid her in on 7%em,” ‘‘ Just so. She comes here in disguise, as it were, I’ve worked this.game up with great care and some ig thaaye and [I’m bound to win. Of course, with her record of forty-five, she couldn’t go in the forty-seven class, but nobody but me and my friends suspect that she is Lady Luce, the White Mountains flyer.” __ ‘‘T see your scheme, but can you win enough to make a good thing out of it?” ** Certainly.” *€ And beat Perkins’s horse?” Banker scowled blackly. ‘‘ Exactly. That, of course, is my main, as it ‘as my first object.” ‘‘ Hope you'll succeed better than before.” ‘Oh! she’s sure to win; dead sure.” ‘‘ But she may be recognized,” ** Not likely.” ‘‘ Well, about the money part,” said Allen eagerly. ‘‘Of course the management is not in the trick?” ‘* Not a soul but me and my friends.” ‘“Then you won’t trouble the pools?” ‘Oh! I shall ‘risk’ something there, and buy on the favorite, Maple Leaf. That will be fora blind. Really, I and two of my friends, and you, if you'll go in, will make every bet on Lady Luce, alias Buckeye Maid, that we can and be safe. I’m going to win twenty thousand or lose all I have.” ‘‘ Read! you can count me in!” Allen said ‘*T, too, will go my last dollar.” ‘‘Sam Toombs, here, will drive Lady Luce. Of course he’s in the scheme, and a right good man he is. He will let the first heat go to who- ever wants it, and then take two straight. And Lady Luce can do it, easily.” ‘Hal won’t it be a come-down for Perkins W <* and that diabolical Horse-King Joe?” ‘‘ They will lose whatever they put up, pop And now, gents, let us drink to our suc- cess. To-morrow will be the biggest day I’ve ‘seen for some time, and it will be a jolly ex- perience to lick Black Jack higher: than a kite, and also pocket twenty thousand. Fill up! Here’s to us and our crowd, and destruction to Jaunty Joe!” CHAPTER XVI, THE GREAT RACE, Ir was a night of excitement such as the town had never beforeseen. They were just making their reputation as a racing people, and on this noticed them than before, During the evening the stores were well crowd- ed, and no particular notice was attracted when a tall, dark-faced man entered one place and purchased a few of the necessaries of life. This man, however, was King Ryer! The Gypsy king seemed to have a habit of ap- pearing whenever there was anything of impor- tance about to occur, and though it was not like- ly he had come to bet on the races—he was not supposed to have anything to bet—there were men in the town who would have been glad to know that he was near. He showed himself only a short time, however. When his purchases were made, he quietly dis- appeared, Another day dawned; one of a kind that pleased every man who had a horse that was to race. A better day could not have been wished for or had. Mr. Perkins was somewhat nervous. He wanted tosee Black Jack cover himself with glory, and the difficulties seemed far greater, mow that the foe was visible, than they had done SE Cee os ON ee ins = ; - . Aon % ¢ y “—" ; oS rey : ae Jaunty Joe, the Young Horse King. when on the farm. He acknowledged himself a for anything, and left all to the ever ready oe, The latter had never been cooler, and he viewed all the excitement with the air of a veteran. He had been in too many races to be nervous now, his nature being directly the opposite. He kept jealous watch of Black Jack, to see that no one tampered with him. The horse was in fine con- dition, but a drug secretly conveyed to him would lose him all chance in the race. Despite this he had some time to notice what was going on around him, and, skillfully as Jas- ver Banker thought himself disguised, Jaunty oe recognized him. A smile swept over the boy’s face. He had felt sure that the turf-gambler would be on hand, and he was glad it wasso. He ex- pected to anger him anew by sending Black Jack under the wire ahead of all others. Betting went much as Banker had predicted. Maple Leaf was the favorite, in the pool, selling at one hundred, while Zeke K. brought forty, Buckeye Maid a smaller sum, and the other three were forced into the ** field.” This pleased Joe; those who took Black Jack would either lose but little, or win a good deal. Banker and his gang worked the crowd to the extent of their pocket-books, making private bets, but doing it so cautiously that no outsider ‘‘tumbled” to their trick. By the time the horses were called, half their money was up on Buckeye Maid. When she had run and lost the first heat, they were ready to bet their last cent, hoping to get great odds, And they were sure the Maid would win gal- lantly. When the horses were called, Jaunty Joe was as calm as ever, but he realized that all was with him a matter of chance. Black Jack might run well and be beaten, or the novelty of racing with other horses might upset him en- tirely, and cause him to make an inglorious failure at the start. Black Jack was a Sphinx for the time being, and he could not speak if he would. The decisive moment came at last, and Joe prayed that a good start might be obtained. Repeated scoring was one of the things they had to fear, as working against the untried borse. Luck was on their side for once, at least, and to his great joy the first attempt was successful. Away went the horses in a bunch, The Young Horse King sat in his saddle coolly, but never before had he felt such intense inter- est. How would Black Jack behave ina hard fight for the lead? The black horse’s natural manner was one of close application to business, and utter disregard for everything else; but he now saw at once that he was on a path by him untrodden. He show- ed signs of nervousness, as well as of anger, and his flashing eyes and flattened ears told that he was ill at ease, though very much in earnest. Joe set himself at work to calm this disturb- ance, and his voice sounded in Black Jack’s ears, calmly, soothingly, barely audible. It had the usual effect, and all Jack’s ner- vousness disappeared, though he was still on the alert, with an appearance worthy of a war- horse. Evidently, he did not recognize the right of the other animals to race along beside him. For the first time Joe glanced critically around. How was the race going? Maple Leaf and Zeke K. had the lead; Buckeye Maid was neck-and-neck with Black Jack; and Valley Vic and Jolly Boy formed the rear guard. Such was the position at the end of a half- mile, during which the two horses strove desper- ately for the advantage, After that Buckeye Maid lost ground, while Black Jack steadily gained on the leaders. It was soon plain that the fight was between the three, The riders of Maple Leaf and Zeke K. were surprised to see the black horse appear as a close competitor, but as they entered on the last quarter, nose to nose, Horse-King Joe was only a neck behind. Then followed a struggle not soon to be for- gotten—a period of suspense—and then Black Jack shot under the wire a winner, in 1:46. He had run the heat as steadily as a veteran, and without the usual signs of effort, Farmer Perkins’s honest face beamed like the rising sun, and great was the excitement amoung the sporting fraternity. Black Jack had only to win one more heat to take the race, and those who had bet against the ‘‘ field” now resorted to the usual means to make themselves right. Novice Black Jack might be, but he was now a prime favorite. till Banker, Allen and their gang went quietly around and laid out every dollar they — ers i > o : TT TE te ~ had on Buckeye Maid. She had taken no better than fourth place, but, according to their scheme, she was to win the next two heats straight. Black Jack had done his level best at forty- six, they argued, and Buckeye Maid was good for forty-four. Once more the horses got away in good style, and then all but Valley Vic and Folly Boy shot away at tremendous pgce. Buckeye Maid was no longer held in, and as she was reany a gece mare, she swept away like a whirlwind, Sam Toombs riding with a con- fident smile on his face. At the end of the first quarter the Maid and Black Jack were neck-and-neck, with Zeke K. and Maple half a length bebind. After that both the latter lost steadily and were practically out of the race. Every eye was fixed on the great struggle between the leaders, and the crowd wee wild with excitement. Around the course thunder- ed the two gallant horses, and nobody could tell who would win. Buckeye Maid was a veteran at the work, and game to the back-bone, and she was a splendid sight as she swept along. But she did not shake off Black Jack so easily. He gave her speed for speed, and at the half they were still so near even that no one could say which led. SamToombs looked around at his rival in surprise. He knew they were doing better than 1:46, and the black horse’s pace surprised him. On, on ont swept, and sporting men grew wild with delight as they neared the end of the third quarter.. Men who had seen many races said that day that they had never seen a grander sight than Black Jack. With wonderful steadiness he dashed on, and only that he held right to business, he might have seemed a wild horse again. Fierce enough for a war-horse he looked, and his flashing eyes were a sight to see and be remem- bered forever. But, oh! the play of his slender legs. It was wonderful, and those who had bet on him were wild with delight. Steady, strong and re- sistless as a locomotive he swept ahead, and Sam Toombs grew almost frantic as he saw himself los*ng ground. He was getting all possible speed out of Buckeye Maid, but, as they entered the last quarter, Black Jack was a head to the good, The jockey uttered a loud oath, while the Young Horse King turned and looked at him with calmness which was maddening. The dis- honest rider, like his employer, had risked his on the Maid, and the race was going against im! The black horse increased his lead. He was showing himself possessed of wonderful en- durance, while the pace was knocking the mare to pieces. The lead became. half a length, and Jack seemed as fresh as ever. Sam Toombs saw that the race was lost. He felt the Maid tremble beneath him, and knew that she could never show at the front again. The cunning trick was going to fail, after all, and he and his allies would be left beggars. It was a just reward of their treachery, but the thought maddened him. Then it was that he lost bis head entirely, and resolved that if he could not win, he would have revenge. An idea had flashed upon him, and though it was one of which he might bitterly repent in future, he was not in a mood to weigh consequences then. He had a knife in his pocket, and he drew and opened this quickly. He had only a mo- ment in which to accomplish his purpose, for Buckeye Maid was fast going to pieces, and they were nearing the wire. With a fiendish expression on his face, the vil- lain bent forward and deliberately cut the girth of Jaunty Joe’s saddle! His purpose was clear; he hoped to see the saddle turn and dash the boy to the ground, per- haps to death. t was a neat scheme in its way—if he was willing to take the consequences—but he had to deal with one as sharp as himself. Jaunty Joe had not failed to keep an eye on him, and as he felt the girth relax, he flung himself slightly for- ward; the saddle turned and fell harmlessly to the ground; while the boy jockey, settling back in his place, gradually reined in Black Jack as the noble animal shot under the wire! He had beaten Buckeye Maid by a full length, and won the heat in— It was not until some time after that Joe re- ceived the official time, but, when announced, it proved to be 1:43—by far the best time ever made on the track. Few people thought of the time then, for Sam ' joleye) ‘ ‘\ ‘ pry a ; ri .* u a ks ) _—_<—eso — a - a LAO IOI i< & i ty 1 - . eo 2G