The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-11-01
SLEEPY DAVID;
The Tin Peddler's Ruse.

The foilowing story, extracted from he work,
"A Ysnke. Among the Nnllihsrs, puFporn 70
be seld by South Csroinisn:
The Yankees, as \ sald before. are apt TO be
Too cn,< for us IN everything but horsefssh. and
evan sorn siimes In that. II was this day, three
ysars axo. on ths spot, that entered my horse
"soathern," for purse OF two Thousand dollars.
In short, be was the best horse At that time In
South Carolina. There were, 70 be cure, two
other horses, and 6ne ones too, entered against
hiu, but they were no touch 10 Southern /" and
| vn a. sure Of winning as / AN Oh sitting here
the moment--vhcn. Who should come along DO,
Yankee With a tin cart lie had the shabbiest.
sossi-looking horse ever put my eyes on. He
vas lean, slGb-sidcd, crook sd-lcggej "critter'
~ ever went on four iess. He stood all the time
AL he vas asleep-in fact hls owner called him
SLEEPY David" Ia short. sir, he was such a
horse as would not have brought twenty dollars
II was near tho hour OF starting, when the
peddlsr. whose exterior corresponded marvelously
With tina, OF his horse, and who said bis name
was Zadock BerbeF, % the astonlshmsut of all
minated wish TO enter bis horse With the rest.
Your horsep exclaimed I-'Hhat, that sleepy
looking devil thcrcy You'd better entered him
Tor the turkey buzzsrds."
Not ~ 700 knows OF. Mister resumed the
Yankee, with some show Of spirit To be sure
that account call him Sleepy David, but he's
aJc-ffed smart boss for all that Hes like a
slnged cat. darned sight better nor he looks
sooofd like tarnation well to try him against
some OF Jour South Carolina horses TO be
aura don't como all the way from home for
that purpose; but as was coming out THE way
on load OF tin and other notions thought \
might time il to Kill two birds With one stone.
tor, thinks to myself. IL l can win tho purse
and peddle Oh the notions at the same time,
shall make plaguy good spec. But l hal To
hurry on like the nation TO get here ia time. aud
that's one reason my hoss looks so shabby and
out OF hx this morning. but for all that he'll
perform days work. tell you"
Supposing he had no idea Of running his horse.
and that all he said merely to crafty his
propensity for talking, 4 babe him begone, and
not trouble me with bis Yankee palayer
WHY. Mister, this free country, and man
has right TO talk or let il alone ,ist as be can
anssd Now, I've taken great deal Of pains
oget here this morning 10 order to run Sleepy
DAVID against some OF your Southern bosses.
Aint joking. SIR, I'm 10 arnest. | understand
there IL purse Of two thousand dollars, and I
should Ike amazing to pick il up
."fon talk OF picking up two thousand dollar
With that bat OF carrion OF yours Awaylwith you.
aud don't trouble me any more"
well, II cant run, suppose | cant; bat
its darned hard anyhow for man 10
take so much pains as have 70 come mp % tho
races, and then can't run after all
"it's too late DOW; by the rules Of the course.
The horse should have been entered Yesterday
however, IL you'll plank the entrance money
perhAps YOU may gstsa yet. = e--.e-----
aid this By vays OF get aBg I'D vi the fellow.
hsvfng no idea he could command q forfth part
Of the sun required.
How much mig ut the enhance money be-"
drawing orts pure containing few shiiiipgs in
r.< I4.II - 80. ~ -. D..
moro nor n quarter dollar or SO. In plank Il on
the nail. !"
LIS two hundred dollars = =
Two hundred exclaimed the Yankee by
gsuley, what price, Why they axed me only
twenty-five cents to see the hull caravan in New
York. Two hundred dollars Why you must
beJokfnv row-oicss me! my hull load OF tin
ware, boss, wagon and all would not fetch that
but, Mister. don't you think | could &c, ia for
ten dollarsr''
Nothing short OF tWo hundred lOlaf., and
that must be paid in I've minutes"
We now thought we had got rid OF the fellow
bat he returned 10 the charge, and asked If fifty
dollars would not do. then seventy then "A hun
dred, and finding be could not make bargain
for -Iess than the regular sun, he engaged 90
give II provided he could find any one to loan il
TO him, for which he would pawn his wagon load
OF notions and SLEEPY David" to boot lie
asked one and tdcn another 90 Accommodate him
with a loan--declaring II he ever took the purse,
the money should be returned. sud he would give
dozen tin whistles into the bargain. he how
ever got more curses than coppeFa until some
wsg. who had plenty of money, aud liked 20 see
the sport go on, lent him tho two hundred dol
lars outof sheer malice. Though j: afterwards
turned out that the Yankee had plenty OF money
about him and was merely playing the postum Ill
the while.
HE nert object was to borrow saddle In
this he was also accommodated: and taking
"Siespy David from the tin eaGt, ne scrambled
upon his back aud took bis station upon the
course lou never saw fellow sit on a horse
SO awkwardly in your life. Everyone said he
would fall of before be had gone hundred
yards--and some. on, OF compassion, urged him
10 withdraw
Mot by a darnoi eight exclaimed he. DO
you think I'm darned fool as TO pay two hun
dred dollars and then withdraw aud not run after
allf"
Others who wanted 10 see tho sport thought
u would cost some broken bones, but encouraged
him ID proceed saying. as they laughed aloud
they had no doubt be would carry of the purse.
'fhst's what | mean to do, said he, Il amt
come here for nothing. can toll you. Wake
up, Sleepy DAVID and look about you: YOU
must have your eyes open today; lie no time to
be spoosin when there IL money at stake"
The horse. as II he understood what hi. master
vas saying. pricked mp his cars and actually be.
gan 10 show signs OF life
Ihe signal was given 90 start AWAY sprane
Southern with ihe speed Of lightning, and
leaving Sleepy David" tar in the rear. the ped
dler ysrking from one side 90 the other "A II he
were just ready TO fail CT
But they improved a. they proceeded the
peddler sat more jockey like. ard his horse EVIL
IDENTITY gained upon the others IL was now
thought the Yankee had enough OF the race. and
would Withdraw before tho heat Contrary 70
all expectation, however he persevered. and OF
Tered one thousand dollars on the issue OF the
race.
The fellows fool. said one
he don't know which side OF his bread i but
tered. or else he wouldn't bet any money on so
desperate q stake"
He's safe enough there" said a lhifd. "lot
be has no more 90 risk
Here. however, all were mistaken again. Tor
the pedder hauled out a greasy old pocke,-book
aud planked the Thousand dollar II VAS COY
cred. OF course. But confess | noN began 10
be staggered. and 60 suspect the Yankee was.
after all. more rogue than fool had 10 fears.
however for the purse "S0uthern" va not
horse 10 be distanced by sueh miserable an
Inal Gs Sleepy David
The second heat was non commtucel.aud III
had felt entire confidence in the noble S1uthern'
That confidence was strengthened as | again saw |
bin comisg in ahead Of the resi-. considered |
the purse ~ now my own PROPERTY I'm imacina- |
lion had grasped N and ahout nuttins- a. .afatx