Delta chief., 1883-10-31
THE THRILL OF VICTORY.

IL
Race.
He~ York Sun.
Il was just IS years old the day
first put up money on q horse race. :"
said portly man. with a conspicuous
brown beard streaked with gray. as he
flickcd hy from the side OF the horse
he was driving along the road. land
the amount was thirteen cents. 1t WAS
thirty years ago. was living in the
backwoods of Ohio. in u little village
called Van Vert. A pleasant road ran
through IL east and west along q low
ridge. To me the road and the ridge
terminated at another village called
Delphos, twelve miles east. The Tole-
do and Cincinnati Canal ran through
Delphos. Among other good farms
along the line Of the road was one be-
longing to an uncle of mine named Jake
Parmly. One day in summer. after
school WAS ont. he said to nv father:
LET the boy spend his vacation with
me on the farm. I'll fetch him back
with some color in his face and the ap-
petite of an elm .peeler hog / looked
nj my father with my heart in my throat
until he assented. WAS slender boy.
Just the one TO learn to ride n race horse,
my uncle said. had often visited my
uncle's farm, but it was only for few
hours at time. and / had scarcely
been nstride of horse before that day.
after I'd been there quite while !
heard him ask his wife one morning II
he should trust a colt. Ten minutes
later ! was seated on that colt. strok-
ing its name before the kitchen door
and yelling like wild Indian. You'll
do, said my uncle as he came out. I'd
been around that colt when he didn't
know IL. The next day was my birth
day. Uncle Jake said he would go 10
Delphos. In the afternoon there was
TO be horse race on the towPath Of the
canal. We would drop around and SEQ
that, too, 30 that might see what it
was like. remember the scene when
/ reached the spot as though l saw it
yesterday"
''The two horses were soon brought
out. One was a broad -chested iron
gray mare. with a flowing name and
tail. Her competitor was q roam geld
ing. rather lighter, and TO my eve rs
awkward RS cow. The roam had the
inside track. and took the lead from the
start. There was a tremendous cheer
ing as he came under the pole three
lengths ahead. was excited. had
prejudice against the roam. Twitching
my unclc's arm | said: "Our Bill there
can beat that gelding. can't hep" He
looked at me and grinned, and then
turned away. The owner Of the roam,
excited by his victory and by liquor,
was prancing around shaking handful
of money in the air. and offering 10 bet
800 to $50 that the roam could outrun
anything in two counties. Uncle Jake
brought out $50 as soon rs he could get
t) the other fellow. an l unhiic' Q
Bills trace chains. Bill was clean
limbed bay. with powers for running
which must have been plain TO n horse
man. but the owner of the roam couldn't
see IL. As was getting the bride bit
into Bills mouth. the roan's jocky came
along and said: Say, country, want ter
bet anything on yer crowbait P"
wanted to fight, but fished out all the
money had, thirteen cents. 'Humph;
I'll go yer twenty-five cents agin It,
said the boy on the roam. After can
ter along the towpath to warm Bill up.
we were ready. and away we went for
the starter. We got off on the second
trial. My heart leaped up and then
stopped beating almost, as / heard the
word, bnt leaned over and whispered
to Bill, and the animal just laid down
to his work. The wind cut by my face
like gale. could feel that my hair
stood straigh, out behind my head.
could see the long, dusty towpath ahead,
and the sparkling water Mt the left, and
between me and II n shadow that rose
and fell regularly and us rapidly as the
motion of my own horse. Neck and
neck We reached the bend in tho canal,
and was on the outside track. Then
the roar of the crowd began to swell
above the clippitycut of the flying feet
beneath us. leaned over to speak to
Bill again. but l couldn't say word.
could only stroke and pat his neck.
He answered 1t instantly. Then the
tears came to my eyes, for l could SEQ