River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-09-20

| when you examined him closely his skin
was smooth and glossy. The uneven
ness was under the skin. The jockeys
were now going out for the preliminary
| canter.
There goes your money, "said Brown.
you can't mistake him-White Jacket
and scarlet cap. No other white jacket
in tie race. When the white jacket dis
appears your money is gone"
at is gone already" said /. "Since
the day l was born | never had one bit
Of luck. ! will not be whit the worse
| without it,
at has not gone yet" said Brown.
| Ar d taking my hand he continued: ut
would be one of the sweetest days of my
| life if / could say that | was instrument
al in restoring the friend of boyhood to
the position of which he was robbed"
| The first animal to leave the paddock
| was Steelribs. He went out like a cart
| horse-no excitement, no praucing. but
| with his head raised somewhat-not az
| he stood in the paddock, with a auiet
| look all round and firm foot under
| him. When his rider called on him it
was picture to see his movement He
| went like piece of machinery. The
/ ground seemed to disappear before him,
and he did not look as if it cost him any
exertion to move.
lie would win," whispered Brown up
| to me, "but there is a country boy up.
| If Quincy were on Steelribs, from what
| | have just heard, he would run away
| from the lot"
The starter now took them in hand,
| and they went to the starting post. Some
| of the steeds were fractions and wanted
to start before the flag fell, but the good
| and well trained animals waited without
much impotence. The length of the
race was three miles, and the course
was almost circular. The horses started
| from the elevated ground opposite, but
| about quarter of a mile distant from
| the stand house. This structure was just
| on the edge of the circle. A long straight
| led up to it from the right. and the race
was to be won on the third round, the
winningpOst being opposite the grand
| stand. The twelve runners were now
marshalled, and, in their bright colors,
we're moving about uneaslly IN front OF
| the starter, when, suddenly down went
| the flag, and away they all rushed. The
| first to show in front was horse called
| Flipper. He went away from the crow q,
| and then another unknown animal fol-
lowed him, and, passing the stand for
| the first time, Steelribs was well up.
Steam and Calypso behind him. Very
far back was Blueskin, and last of all
came Queen Bess.
"Look at thatp cried a voice behind
me. "He wants the mare to make the
running for Blueskin, and she is not able
She is loosing ground already"
They were now approaching nasty
jump-a big fence at one side, water on
| the other. Blueskin and Queen Bess
were eased Three horses and their
riders went crashing into the water, and
vii TIl1h tho two nnIn(niq took the
safe parts of the fence and went over.
The pace now vas hot and the ground
rising, and soon three more of the
| twelve colors dropped back from ex-
haustiOn; and, facing the big double on
the top of the hill. any tyro. could see
that there were only six IN 1t even for
the next round. Stream was leading,
going at a tremendous rate, pulling his
| jockey ont of the saddle and getting
quite unmanageable. With wild rush
| he made at the great double and cleared
the whole obstacle safely; but the effort
| spoiled him forever and soon his bolt
| was shot. Then following Rupert and
Calypso, Steelribs came next and went
| over it like goat, and then came Blne-
| skin and Queen Bess, leaving the diff
| ficulty behind them as if the jump were
only so much ordinary amusement. And
so they went down hill to the water-iump
pool, Stream showing that he had hurt
himself and his rider easing him off. Over
the water-jump they went, and turned
| again for the bend of the circle leading
to the stand. There were few small
obstacles before them, of no account,
however. Rupert and Calypso led,
bounding along as fresh as when they
started; Steelribs was third, and then
came Blueskin and Queen Bess, and so
they cleared the hurdle into the straight.
Ny friend suddenly gripped my
arm.
watch" he said. CHOW it comes"
Blueskin and Queen Bess seemed
| locked together, so close did they run
for an instant. The riders were talking.
Another round would finish the race.
The horses were now nearing the stand
| for the second time, and Steelrlhs drew
| out for the lead and was taking 1t from
| Rupert, when, like a shot, Blueskrn's
nose showed at his quarter, then at his
shoulder and then ahead of him. In
| this way they passed the stand. Galgey
raising his whip in answer to
| the cheers which greeted him. It
seemed like a whirlwind. They an
now seemed mad-Iialgey and Blueskin
the maddest of them alI-Queen Bess
| still last. Up the hill Steeiribs and Blue
| skin went as if the race rested between
| them. There was loy fence for Queen
| Bess 10 get over, which did not mind
| in my excitement, and suddenly, with
q pale face, Brown turned to me.
at is all over" he said; Queen Bess
| can't win. Quincy lost his iron at that
beggarly little obstacle. Look at him
now going up the hill and fishing with
his toe for it. and unless he has his foot
in the stIrup he cannot get oven Ii
awful double"
1t was the first time felt any real in
| terest in the race. my money. notwith-
| standing, for / pereved that was gone
| with the rest. | looked, and there was
the stirrup leather and iron tapping
| iuriousiy about, and evidently telling
on the temper of the mare. Quincy was
| working with his foot to catch it every
time it descended, but the pace he was
| going at was so terrific that it would be
| impossible unless by a chance approach
| ing a miracle, for him to get hold of 1t.
/ The accident was now seen from the
] stand, and roar OF excitement arose
| apprehending some frightful catastro-
/ phe. The horses were flying up hill to
| tie double, when within one hundred
| wards of it Clul ey shifted his position
| in the saddle, boldly caught the iron,
stopped down-going like rocket that
| he was-and placed the stirrup on his
| foot. The next instant Queen Bess land
| ed like a deer on the other side OF the
great obstacle. Calypso bungled on the
| fence, threw her rider, and now there
were four in it-Steelribs leading with
Rupert second, and Blueskin falling
back to Queen Bess.
| "SteelribS runs away with IT. A cheer
| for the countrymanl shouted voice
| near me.
| Look out for another bit of nice rid
| ing now" said Brown. Mark how Blue
skin will keep the rails next the winning
post for Queen Bess."
| They were now approaching the wa
ter jump, after which the terrific strug-
gle known as the run-home would COM
mence. The rails in the straight for the
winning post lay on the right; and APP
parently without an effort, up came
BIueskin and cleared the water in a
line with the other two, and on the
right. Queen Btss came straight after
him. Horses and men now bent to
Their work. There We're no whips go
ing, but the way they GO over the
ground was astounding. They approached
like a hurricane. Queen Bess lying
two lengths to the bad as they came to
the straight after him. The stand and
ring were like paudemonium. Blue
skin runs away with 1t?
'.Steelribs romps I'M" hubert has 1t
as he likesr' The cries we've defeanlng.
Az they approached the hurdle leading
10 the straight, Queen Bess, in some I'M