The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-07-03
BrRDSALL,S SOFT THING.
How Ho Eucherod tho Boys at a Aorse
Race Years Ago. g.
w rgina City Chroniole.l

"Speak1n' OF hosscracin', said Jailer
Birdsall last evening to- select cotelio
in the city Jail, the tricks of ,thc turf
being under discussion, "I had my
dose once an Pma horscthicf if [
haven't kept it dark for eighteen years.
=! was keepin' Il big stable OH B street
in $50, and there was sight o. racin'
goin' on in them times, and l wanted
my fin in everything o. that kind. l
was younger and tresher than am
now. Two horses, black and q gray,
were brung up from Genoa to run for
thousand side at tho track near
Long Valley: The race was to como
oH OH Saturday, and there was some
heavy bettin, Oh tho thing. l was
holdin' back for points before puttin'
up any coin. Bill Harness comes ND
to me a-Thursday an put up tho pret-
ticst job ever hear tell of. You don't
remember Bill, 1 s'pose? Well, he
was lynched over to Phoebe in ri,
poor fellow. We took Rough in an it
was agreed thai the swag was to he
divided equal. 1t was a paetty lob,
an the chief beauty oft was that it
was almighty easy an simple. 1t was
just for Hardy an me to take the horses
ont the night afore the race an speed
en- round tho track till we found their
pace. 1t wouldn't be no trick then,
at all, for us to haul in all the pools
and clean up handsome. The nags
was in my stable, which made tic
businessjust too easy. Friday night
me and Hardy set to work an got the
jockies blind, stavin' drunk, and by
midnight they was as limp an scnseless
a pair o. lines. Hardy an me, when
We got EN- so they couldn't tell a STIR
rup from distance pole, laid 'em out
in the straw In all empty stall, an took
the black an gray out for practice.
1t was pretty moonlight night, clear
as day, an everything worked slick.
rode the black an it beat the gray
easy, although they was both power
ful good gocrs. Then l took the gray
an Hardy took the black, SO there
couldn't be no suspicion Of roots again
ono another, md still tho black ~ most
distanced the gray. We jest laughed
till the tears rolled down our laws,
when We led them horses back to their
stalls, to think Of the soft thing we had
on tho boys, an, Hardy an me was
quite willin' to put in about two hours
rubbir down them flyers, so as TO re-
move all signs O. the work they'd been
through. The race was mile heats,
best two in three, an me an HARDY
was OH the track good an carly next
day takin' everything that was offered
agin the black. We both had scads
In them times. and when the start was
made we'd about five thousand on the
bluck between us. We let up bettin'
jest out Of pity for the poor devils that
took us up SO innocent and eager.
Every now an then Harness an Har-.
dy an me would meet an go an take
drink an roar out laughin' so you
could hear lis a mile. When the
horses started Hardy an mo felt big
germ old Grant. It kind o. surprised
us to see the way the gray lifted his
feet though, an when he come in
length ahead o. tho black it kind o.
made us feel uneasy about the gills.
OF course we knowcd it was the jock
cT's fault an managed to git to him
an slip five twcntics in his fin. Let
her out this timo,' I scz. IF tho black
wins you'll got two hundred more.
He gave a wink an nodded. Boys
you kin roast me if that damned gray
didn't distance Il black in tho second
heat. In ten cininutes / was blind
drunk an knowcd no moro till lnornin.
Then | oiled up my shooter an started
oteo W iIuu A"iNS. IL u lOull illl1
he wouldn't been watcrtight long.
l was sure he'd put the Job up on ME
on tho track Friday night. We didn't
happen to meet. Friends looked out
for that, know now. Harness wasn't
no where around, an J found he'd
gone to the bay. 1t wasn't forty-cight
hours atorc the whole town was hOu-
linz with delight at the way Hardy an
med boon eat up. 1t was that cussed
Harness an his gang. They'd loaded
the shoes O. the gray with lead all then
put Hardy an me up to our little
game. "lt was" said Mr.. Dirdsall,
with tears in his eyes at tho mere
memory, "thc lowest down shennani-
gan that ever was played OH two hon
est men. Only think what would
have happened If Hardy an mo had
met. He was huntin' for mo Just the
same as was after him. The game
was blowcd before we did come togeth-
er, an then after five minutes talk we
started for the bay to see Harness.
lie skipped before we got there, an
although we followed him for morc'n
a month, he kept ahead of us. They
gave him his dose over to Phoebe,
though" added Mr.. Birdsall cheerful
ly and then he sighed, and relhpscd
into tobacco smoke and silence.