Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-07-14
HOW THE OLD HORSE WON
THE BET.


THE BET.
Twas on the famous trotting ground,
The betting men were gathered round
From far and near; the cracks" were there
Whose deeds the sporting prints declared
The swift e. m, Old Hiram's nag,
The fleet s. H., Dan Pfeiffer's organ,
With these third-and who is he
That stands beside his fast b. e.?
Budd Doble, whose catarrhal name
So fills the nasal trump of fame.
There, too, stood many noted steed
OF Messenger and Morgan breed;
Green horses also, not few
Unknown as yet what they could do;
And all the hacks that know so well
The scourgings of the Sunday swell.
Blue are the skies Of opening day;
The bordering turf is green with May;
The sunshine's golden CLEAN is thrown
On sorrel, chestnut, bay and roam;
The horses paw and prance and neigh,
Fillies and colts like kittens play
And dance and toss their rippled names,
Shining and soft rs silken skens;
Wagons and gigs are ranged about,
And fashion tiaunts her gay turnout;
Here stands--each youthful Jehu's dream
The jointed tandem, ticklish teaml
And there in ampler breadth expand
The splendors Of the four hand;
On faultless ties and glossy tiles
The lovely bonnets beam their smiles
(The styles the man. SO books avow;
The styles the woman, anyhow;
From founces frothed with creamy lace
Peeps out the pug dogs sunny face,
Or spaniel rolls his liquid eye,
Or stares the wiry pet Of Skye
0 woman, in your hours OF ease,
So shy with us, so free with thcsel
Come onl I'll bet you two to one
I'll make him do it!' 'Will you? Done!'
What was it who was bound to do?
l did not hear and can't tell you
Pray listen till my storys through.
Scarce noticed, back behind the rest.
By cart and wagon rudely prest,
The parsons lean and bony bay
Stood harnessed in his one horse shay
Lent to the sexton for the day
"a funeral-so the sexton sald
Ills mothers uncle's wife was dcad).
Like Lazarus bid to Dives feast
So looked the poor, forlorn old beast;
His coat was rough, his tail was bare,
The gray was sprinkled in his hair;
Sportsmen and jockeys knew him not,
And yet they say he once could trot
Among the teetest of the town,
Till something cracked and broke him
The steed's the statesmans common lot!
And are we then so soon forgot?"
All mel l doubt if one of you
Have ever heard the nome "Old Blue"
Whose fame through all this region rung
In those old days when was young!
Bring forth the horsem Alas! he showed,
Not like the one Mazeppa rode:
Scant maned. sharp backed and shaky kneed,
The wreck of what was once a steed,
Lips thin, eyes hollow. stiff in joints;
Yet not without his knowing points.
The sexton, laughing in his sleeve
AS if 'twere all make believe,
Led forth the horse, and as he laughed
Unhitched the breechng from q shaft,
Unclasped the rusty belt beneath,
Drew forth the snatlle from his teeth,
Slipped off his headstall, set him free
Ern,, ufr Il vain a tffl,f Tn pnnl
So worn SO lean In every limb,
1t can't be they are saddling hms
1t is! His back the pig-sk strides
And flaps his lank, rheumatic sides;
With look of mingled scorn and mirth
They buckle round the saddle -girth;
With horsey wink and saucy toss
A youngster throws his leg across
And so, his rider on his back,
They lead him, limping to the track,
Far up behind the starting point,
To timber out each stiffened joint.
AS through the jeering crowd he past,
One plying look old Hiram cast;
Go it, ye cripple, while ye can!''
Cried out unsentimental Dan;
"A fast day dinner for the crows!''
Budd Doble's scoffing shout arose.
Slowly, as when the walking beam
First feels the gathering head OF steam,
With warning cough and threatening wheeze,
The stiff old charger crooks his knees,
At first, with cautious step sedate,
AS if he dragged a coach Of state;
He's not a colt; he knows full well
That time is weight and sure to tell
No horse so sturdy but he fears
The handicap of twenty years.
AS through the throng on either hand
The old horse nears the judges stand,
Beneath the jockeys feather-weght
He warns a little to his gait.
And now and then step is tried
That hints at something like Il stride.
'Gor'-Through his ear the summons stung
AS if a battle-trump had rung:
The slumberng instincts long unstirred
Start at the long familiar word;
1t thrills like flame through every limb
What mean his twenty years to him!
The savage blow his rider dealt
Fell on his hollow flanks unfelt;
The spur that pricked his staring hide
Unheeded tore his bleeding side;
Alike to him are spur and rein
He steps fve-year-old again!
Before the quarter pole was past
Old Hiram said, He's gon. fast
Long the quarter was half
The chuckling crowd had ceased to laugh
Tighter his frightened jockey clung
AS in mighty stride he swung,
The gravel flying in his track,
His neck stretched out. his ears laid back,
His tail extended all the while
Behind him like Il rat-tai file
OFF went a shoe-away il spun,
Shot like bullet from q gun,
The quaking jockey shapes prayer
From scraps of Oaths he used to swear;
He drops his whip, he drops his rein,
He clutches fiercely for a mane
He'll lose his hold-he sways and reels
He'll slide beneath those trampling heels!
The knees Of many horseman quake,
Not on a hnnnaf
And shouts arise from left to right,
stick on! Stick on!' Hold tight Hold tight
"Clibg round his neck and don't let go
That pace can't hold-there! steady! whoal'
But like the sable steed that bore
The spectral lover Of I.enore,
His nostris snorting foam and fire,
No stretch his bony limbs can tire;
And now the stand he rushes by,
And stop himl Stop him!' is the cry.
''Stand back! he's only just begun
He's having out three heats in one!
Don't rush in front! ell smash your brains;
But follow up and grab the reins''
Old Hiram spoke. Dan Pfeffer heard,
And sprang impatient at the word;
Budd Doble started on his bay,
Old Hiram followed on his gray,
And off they sprang, and round they go.
The fast ones doing ''all they know"
Look! twice they follow at his heels,
AS round the circling course he wheels,
And whirls with him that clinging boy
Like Hector round the walls of Troy;
Still on, and on, the third time roundl
They're falling off they're losing ground!
Budd Doble's nag begins to fail
Dan Pfeiffers sorre whsks his tail
And seel in spite of whip and shout,
Old Hiram's mare is giving out!
Now for the finish at the turn,
The old hOrse--all the rest astern-
Comes swinging in, with easy trOt;
BY Jovel he's distanced all the lot
hot frot M IN orto1 rould nyn1aiu
Some said, "Old Dutchman come againr'
Some took his time-at least they tried,
But what it was could not decide;
One said he couldn't understand
What happened to his second hand;
One said 2:10; that couldn't be-
More like two twenty two or three;
Old Hiram settled 1t ut last;
1.-THE time was two--too dce-vel-ish fastl''
The parsons horse had won the bet;
1t cost him something of a sweat;
Back in the one horse shay he went;
The parson wondered what it meant,
And murmured with mild surprise
And pleasant twinkle of the eyes,
THAT funeral must have been trick,
Or corpses drive at double-quick;
! shouldn't wonder, declare,
If Brother Murray made the prayerl"
And this is all have to say
About the parsons poor old bay.
The same that drew the one horse shay.
Moral for which this tale is told:
hCrsc can tret, for all he's old
--OHcer Wendell Holmes, in July atlantic
TOM AND LAURA.
From the Burlington Hawkeye.
When, but a few days ago, Il
word went round that the "swe