The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-01-30

termination to have the wager settled
OF hand, appeared quite a matter of cour
In response to question put to one
the stewards, who lived some distance fri
Ihornford, as to whether he intended ate
ping TO see the match, there was lc1
shout of seThere.' To be sure he wi
And SO will all Of tts. We would moi mi
the race for worlds. /" In the midst Of Ii
huDbub Whinridge, his whole frame vibra
ing with joyous excitement, left the roor
taking Hartbrook with him. Dykely fo
lowed their example, with 81 grave air
deliberation that betrayed his awakene
concern. BE already repented him of h
rashness. He felt, to quote the language
the turf, that, sthe had been rushed. - il
to making the wager by exasperatin
taunts of the Squire; and, looking at th
arrangement from strictly sporting poin
OF view, he began to have grave doubt
OF the issue. His own horse was none tn
better for the race that was In him. and h
was completely in the dark about Whin
ridges champion.
Fluefaker might have to meet fresf
horse; the Squire owned strongigt
stud, which was seldom short Of work
Then, moonlight match Who ever heard
OF such thing? Well, although he was
not a Jack Mytton, he was game through,
idiotic as it looked. The match was pay
OF play, and the Thornford Hunt Cup
should never adorn the Whinridge side
board if he could help it. There was one
element in the affair that favored him.
He knew the line Of country, and if the
moon behaved herself, there was no dan
ger of his going on the wrong side Of the
flag. -# .-..
!, Squire Whinridge was comforting with
Hartbrook in a private room. ...
'Now, Mark, attend to me. I shall
want you to help me through with this
business. What are you smiling at, you
knave? l suppose you think your old
master has lost his head again. No, no;
| mean to show you all, as well as that
fiashy Captain down stairs, that / know
what l am about. Where is Crowe?'
Awaiting your orders.
''And Applicant? o, I can guess.
With his mouth in the niai1ggf." he rang
the bell peremptorily ''Tell Grove" he
said to a neat-handed Phillis, who obeyed
the summons, ''to tie up Applicants
head at once, and then come to me.''
''Why, Sir, you surely DON'T
s'Have care or you'll head the fox.
do mean to run Appletart, if that is what
you are aiming at. He was bad third
to-day, but his jockey did not ride him
out for place, or else [ think he might
have been second. However, Wen dis
cover tonight whether the weights won't .
just bring the pair together
''But, sir-the joekey?'
''Ha that's where you are. is it? Well,
l own that the jockey is rather an i'm
portant feature in the case. Tell me
what do you think of me for the mount?o
''You, Sir" replied Hartbrook with an
expression of horror! Why, you would be
done by the length of street. You ride
fifteen stone if you ride an ounce.''
No, no, no, Not as bad as that, Mark. =
However, wait. The jockey will be ready. I
never fear. The moon rises at Il, and
we have therefore nearly six hours to look :
ibout us. By this time Grove will have E E
'bridged Applicants supper. Look in, :, =
md then send here.'' =
Mark was nonplussed, as he told his :,
wife when he returned to the snuggery. =
squire Whinridge playing the very duece =
nd destroying things. he could nnder- :.
tand; but Squire Whinridge going about
lis work in that business-lke manner. he !,
ould not understand
He must have his knife pretty deep in :.
D this Captain Dykely, Jenny, or he =,
Tould not take SO much trouble to get the :,
etter of him; for, mind you, the Squire =
J not one of the boasting sort. But how :
e is to do it | don't know. They bar ~
Professional Jockeys; and where he is =
oing to pick up a feather among the -
mateurs hereabouts puzzles me. All our
ood performers are. on the meaty side. a,
nd feather he must be, Jenny, to make -
? match certainty ~
The news of the novel match spread :.
pidly through the town and attracted -
the recognized center of operations the
,hinridge Arms, crowds of sportsmen -.
id idlers of all classes anxious to hear
5he right of it,
Both Grove and the Captains mana -
cit,rn person named Widgeon-were -
ade much of by company laudably D.
sirous Of obtaining what is known in -
olting circles as the straight tip; but ~ -,
ither Of the persistentiy ser -
,ors afforded the inquirers any substan- -
! satisfaction in the shape of answers.
owe and Widgeon either knew nothing ~,
they were acting, reticently, uuder
1ers. The moon arose precisely at the :,
le appointed by the local Almanac -
eumstance that did not escape the adj
ring notice of those natives of Thorn -. III
d, who rather looked upon the placid -
, itself as local property-and move "a
mt was thereupon made toward the
e-course. But where was the Squire? =, :,
ON the moment he, Hartbrook, Captain -
kelly, and William Heckler, the star - =
who was on this occasion to act as
ge, had arranged the modus operandi ~ :
mad been missing. His last words :,
re:
- a,,,+ .o ,.h ,+a,.+. .,,o,>, plo
~, =, and
u.1,,, 49, her,a a. - hav
time. 1 shall be with you an hour es1 a,
II moonrise by Heckler's watch; and r.
am not, Forfeit - .
Ie thereipon strode down stairs at a 80
id rate, leaped into the waiting saddle y =, :,
rode off. He was gone before any .'l.o
the few spectators of his departure -. -,
given his probable destination -
ught. Mark, however, who observed 80
proceeding from one of the bar win = :
IS, smote his thigh with energy, and
laimed:
Jenny, Jenny, my girl, I can see it e' !. !
Can you? ?a replied that estimable lady I.
tones Of cool cynicism. II am de- i.
tied. Only the next time you see it oh;e
whatever that may be, oblige me by 4 Z
ng 50 in a quiet manner. You have + m
ken one Of your best jugs st,,,
Da-that is, never mind the jug. ! ".
Tire Whinridge, I can see it alI?,,' liner ma,
See what? queried his spouse, irrately. 8,
Why. the jockey! Where is Grim q
yea,' = !,
| ton't know. Ifere--get out OF my ride
/. You are neither use nor ornament g
j. Go and look for your Grimstowe . g