The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-09
Euchred Mt u Horse-Ruce,

''Spcakin of horse -racin'," said Jailc1
Birdsall, Of Virginia City, Nevada, to ,
select cotcrie in the city Jail, the tricks o
the turf being under consideration, 81 hat
my dose once, and Pm horse thief If
haven't kept it dark for eighteen years.
was kccpin' big stable on b. street in &c
ana there was sight O racin' going on il
them times, and l wanted my fin in ever,
thing o that kind | was younger anC
frcshcr than alA now. Two horses wer,
oring up from Genoa to run for Thousand
a side at the track near Long Valley The
race was to come off OH Saturday, and there
was some heavy bcttin' on the thing.
was holdin' back for points before putin
up any COIN
"Bill Harness comes to nc Thursday
anu put up the pretticst job l ever heard
tcil OF. You don't remember Bill, | s'posc
well, he was lynChed over at Phoebe in ~
poor fellow. We took Hardy in, an it was
agreed that the swag was to be divided
equal. II was pretty job, an the chief
beauty OF 1t was that IL was 50 easy an SIM
pie. 1t was just for Hardy an me to take
the horses the night aforc the race an speed
'em round the track till he found their pace.
1t wouldn't be no trick, then, at all, for us
to haul in all the pools and clean up hand
some. The nags were in my stable, which
made the business just too easy. Friday
night me an Hardy set to work an got the
jockeys blind, stavin' drunk, an by mid
night they was as limp an scnseless as a
pair OF lines. Hardy and me- when we'd
got en- 80 they couldn't tell stirrup from
distance pole, laid 'cm out in the straw in
al empty stall an took the black and gray
| out Tor practice. 1t was a pretty moonlight
mgnt, clear as day, and everything worked
SICK. rode the black, an il beat the gray
easy, although they were both powerful
good gocrs. Then took the gray an liar
dy look the black, SO there couldn't be no
suspicion OF roots agin one another, and
stlll the black most distanced the gray.
I'VE jest laughed till the tears rolled
down our jaws, when we led them horses
Dack to our stalls, to think Of the soft thing
we had on the boys, an Hardy an me was
quite willin' to put in about two hours rub
pm down them flyers, so as TO remove all
signs of the work they'd been through.
Ihc race was mile heats, best two in three.
| an me an Hardy was OH the track good
an early next day takin' cvcrythin' Tint
was offered agin the black We both had
scads in them times, an when the star, was
made we'd about five thousand on tho black
between us. We let up bcttin' lest out of
ply Tor the poor devils that took us up so
innocent and eager. Every now an then
Harness an Hardy an me would meet an
60 an take drink an roar with lauphin'
80 you could hear us Il mile.
"When the horses started Hardy an nc
felt biggcr'n old Grant. 1t kind O surprised
us to see the way the gray lifted his feet
through, an when he come in length
ahead o the black it kind o made us feel
uneasy about the gills. Of course we
knowed it was the burned Jockeys fault,
an managed to git to him an slip five
| twentics into his fin.
Let her out this limc,' | seq. IF the
black wins you'll get two hundred more
lie gave wink and nodded. BOYS,
you kin roast me if that burned gray didn't
distance the black IN the second heat In
ten minutes was blind drunk an knowcd
no more till monin'. Then oiled up my
shooter and started out to find Hardy. If |
nad tonna him he wouldn't been water
tight long l was sure he'd put the job up
on me on the track Friday night. We
dian hoppen to meet. Friends looked out
Tor that know now. Harness wasn't no.
where around, an f"und he'd gone to the
bay.
"''ii " 'oI -CISHt IOuTS uIOrC the
whole town was howlin' with delight at the
way Hardy an med been eat up 1t was
that cusscd Harness an his gang. THEY'D
loaded the shoes o the gray with lead, an
then put Hardy an me up to our little game.
1t was, said MIR. Birdsall, with tears in his
eyes at the mere memory, 'thc lowest down
shennanigan that ever was played on two
honest men. Only think what would have
happened if Hardy and me had met. lie
was huntin' for me just tho same as was
after him. The game was blowcd before
we did come together, an then after five
minutes talk we started for the bay to see
Harness. He skipped before we rot there.
an although we followed him for more'n n
month, he kept ahead of us. They gave
him his dose over at Ploche, though, "
added MIR. Birdsall, chcerfully, and then he
sighed and rclapsed into tobacco smoke and
| silence.