Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-29
Artfulness Of Mr.. Watson.

dissipated and unholy mining settlement
near White Pine, Nebraska Territory, Is
Mr., Watson, whom his bosom friends
know by the graceful pet-nsme of "Buck-
skim" and whose taste IN horsehesh Is at
once the admiration and envy of all his
most uproxrious associates. By reason OF
the European war, or some other inter-
national disturbance of credit, Mr.. Wat
sons bank account has not always been
favorable to such extravaganza in Handle.
tonians and revenues as that gentleman's
fastidious equine nature habitually yearns
for but some weeks age, happy comb.
nation of right and left bower endowed
him with few hundred dollars, and he
forthwith purchased o certain little bay
mare lately from abroad, and assumed an
air of superiority that was an outrage
upon every other horse-owner in town.
The keenest of jockeys, no less than the
most sensible OF men, are subjected TO Gu
rious equine infatuations st times, and MIR.
Watson's turn came when he had secured
this little bay mare. He believed that
she could trot q mile in certain incredible
time; he gathered together all his world.
" property for magnifcently reckless
wager upon it; and his friends could no
longer blind themselves to the fact that
Tue lliiC lOl lib SiOoaaAto cAs AAAN wv
tainly arrived.
A certain gaunt and swift gray horse of
superlative ugliness and bottom, was OBJ.
tanned frea w hite Pine to pit against The
bay, and select ring OF the most respect
able gamesters of Shermantown concoct-
ed q subtle plot for what they felicitously
called araking Buckskin's little pile" To
assure the soundness OF their friendly
speculation, these sagacious gentlemen
went quietly to Mr.. Wats0n's stable one
moonlight night, and, leading the vaunted
little mare thence to the race.track,
Obliged her to show her speed against the
gray. Alas for the vanity OF human judg-
ment! that raw. boned monster of celebrity
trotted away from her like Dexter from
Mountain Boy, and she was stealthily re-
turned to her stall, with the contempt
ever felt for any kind of failure by noble
minds. Now, according to the very ad
mirable principles of the turf, everything
was ready for formal match with the
unsuspecting Buckskin Watson, and that
gentleman was duly dared and abused
into making race between his little bay
and the gray.
The day of the great event brought ali
Shermantown to the track, and the sport
ing excitement ran high. Ii was exceed
lngly curious to observe, however, that
everybody was wild to wager heavily
upon the gray, while none bet upon the
bay but her infatuated owner. He, in
nocent man, took bets Of everything, even
watches, revolvers, and breast-pins, with
an apparent plentitude of cash magical
to behold. The race ensued, and in 1t the
gallant gray surpassed his every previous
effort, and made far better time than on
the moonlight night of the first contest.
This was immensely satisfactory to his
hackers, of course, but not so satisfactory
az it would have been had the gray won
the race. The beast, despite his splendid
points," was actually distanced in the
very first heat by the little bay mare"
Tremendous was the sensation at this
incredible result, and dense the confusion
of the numerous knowing ones by whose
contributions the simple, unaffected Mr..
Buckskin Watson became quite Roths
child. As he took the spoils from his
friends, MIR. Watson begged that they
would excuse him for being so artful as to
let them take out the little bay mare and
try her on that beautiful moonlight night,
when they thought him asleep. Be
cause, you see, chaps" he observed, peck.
citing brother in-law's watch with
marked emotion, "that ar pesky little bay
mare is as stone-blind by moonlight as an
owl at noonday?