The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-04-03


"rwo hundred dollars exclaimed
the Yankee, by goily, what q price !
Why they axed me- only q quatter
Of dollar to see the elephant and
the whole caravan in New York
Two hundred dollars Why you
mast be joking nov. Bless inc /!
my whole load Of tin ware, boss,
wagon aud all, wouldn't fetch that.
But, mister don't you think that !
could get ia for ten dollars ?
Nothing less than two hundred,
and that must be paid within the
short space Of five minutes.
We now thought We had got rid
Of the fellow, but he returned again
to the charge aud asked il fifty dol
lars would not d.. tbeu seventy-Gve
then one huudroI and finding that
he could make bargain for less
than the regular sum he engaged to
do it provided he cocld fnd anyone
to losu him the money, Tor which lac
offered to pawn b's wagon load Of
rotions, aud Sleepy DAVID to boot.
he asked one, tbeu another to accom-
modate him wit, the loan, declaring
that as soon as he took The parse
the money should be returned ald
he would give ten tin whistles into
the bargain. lie however, got more
eurses than coppers, until some way
who had plenty of cash, and liked
to soc the sport go on. lent him 500
out Of sheer malice. Though, as
il afterwards turned out he had more
money about him. aud was merely
playing the possum all the while.
His next object was to borrow II
saddle Hero also he was accom-.
modated aud taking Sleepy David
fl om the tin cart he scrambled upon
his back aud took his station on the
course. You never saw fellow sit 50
awkwardly in your life Everybody
said ho would fall before no lad
aone hundred yards, aud some out
Of compassion urged him to WITH
draw.
, "Not by darned sight, said he
Why do you think La such tarnal
fool to pay the two hundred and
then not run chan ,es artcr all
Others who wanted to see the
sport, even il it SHOULD cost some
broken bones, encouraged him to
proceed, saying. rs they laughed
aloud, that they had no doubt he
would carry the prizs.
That's what ! mean to do, sald
he. IL ain't come her for nothing,
eau tell you. Wake up sleepy
vid, aud look about you io"
lust have your eyes open to-day
IT'S no time to be snoozln now, whea
there is money ut stake.
! Tho horse. us if he understood
what his master was saying. opened
MS eyes pricked mp his ears, and
actually showed some signs Of life.
"lhe signal was now given to
start. Away spraug Southron with
tue speed of lightnlug, and away
sprang the other Southron horses,
leaving Sleepy David lar in she rear
and the peddler verging from side
to side Us if just ready to drop off
rhe horse went paving along with
his tail clinsiug close to his haunch-
es, aud his nose stuck straight out
before hir and you never saw SO
queer figure cut by man and horse
as this singular pair made.
But they improved rs they pro.
ceeded /; tho peddler sat more jocky
like, and the horse evidently gained
upon the others But it would not
10. He came in half mile behind
Southern. aud o little less behind
the others.
Il was now thought the Yankee
had got enough of the race aud
would withdraw before another race
Contrary to all expectation, he per-
severed, aud even offered to bet u
thousand dollars on the issue OF the
race. & ~. va
The fellows fool said one.
!He don't know which side his
bread is buttered, said another, vf
he wouldn't risk any more nouey.
"IIe's safo enough. there, said a
third, FOR he hasn't any to risk
Here, however, everybody was
mistaken again for the peddler haul.
ed out another greasy pocket-book
and planked down q thousand dol
lars. IL was covered Of course. But
confess I now began to feel stag
gered, aud to suspect that after all
the Yankee was more knave than
fool. / had no fears, however, for
the purse. Southern was not horse
to be distanced In one. day, especial-
Ily by such misunderstanding devil
as Sleepy David.
"rhe second heat was now COM
meuced and il ever felt confident
in the entire superiority OF my horse
Southern, that confde ,ce was
strengthened a. saw him coming
in ahead of the rest. l considered
the purse now ~ my own property
In Imagination had graspsd it,
aud was about putting it safely in
my pocket, when 10, aud behold the
peddler's horse, which was behind
all the rest shot suddenly forward NJ
il the devil kicked him on the end,
aud strengthening his neck like a
crane, won the heat bya throAt-latch.
Everybody was astonished.