The banner-enterprise., 1883-09-06

stand, as a gambler stands, awaitin.
the cast of the die.
Oh, my God how it all comes bacl
to me, though ten eventful years hav,
passed since that day Surely sucl
a terrible agitation of mind as SHOOK
ne then is madness-madness, Meth
er more or less.
Ths field comes sweeping round
''the Corner" tailed off into extended
line; and down the hill toward home
comes the horses, in one last tremen.
dous effort. n jockey, whose colors
are scarlet and yellow, bright and
vivid, leads the way, working with
bit and spur and whip, and seeming
to carry his steed on beneath him.
Two Others are close behind but
their colors are strange to my strain
ing eyes.
Great Heavens Where is the
Makeshift Cote Where is the rider
to whom | have pinned my faith AS
the foremost horses come in sight |
hear the tremendous, frenzied roar
that burst up from the mighty con-
course of spectators. For a moment
my heart seems to stop beating. 1t
IS death to me to hear that shout
"Cremorne! Cremorne! Cremorne
winsw
But no! Out from the ruck of horses
behind, just as they come down from
Tattenham Corner, one draws to the
front-a dark horse, brown or black,
riden by a jockey in colors that are a
heaven of hope to sight. Oh 10,
Black and purple! On, Makeshift
Colt.
The dark horse FORCES ahead, passes
the two behind the foremost, lies on
the flank of Red and Yellow. Even
in all my terrible excitement | notice
a dropping in the roars of the mighty
a sort of falter or perplexity-
for few know what horse Black and
Purple rides. l hear a man near me
hoarsely exclaim /:
"What the--horse is that ~
| know, and | leap up in a mad
thrill of delight. As the striving
racers flash before us, | see two far in
front of all the rest. Red and Yellow
is doing all he knows. but, on his
flank, drawing up to him closer and
closer, nearer ard nearer, forging
ahead till they ride neck and neck,
comes my noble Black and Purple.
He is coming up! he is passing Red
and yellow! He is gaining a foot in
every yard He wins. he wins ,
and Purple forever!
The ace is over. The fierce tur-
MOL Of shouting thousands boils up
around us. The two horses have
passed the post so close together that
no one knows which has won. We
wait some moments in agonized SuS-
penSe, till the numbers go up upon
the board, At last they appear: /,
3, MakeShiit Colt; 3, |
know not what, for | sink almost
tainting to the ground.
Half Il neck has done it. Had our
horse put OH the squirt a moment
sooner he would have won. Had the
course been ten yards longer the de-
would have been reversed.
)b, if-if-if-and have lost!
O'Hooligan is beside me. He stands
With his hands thrust down deep into
lis pockets, his face is pale, and his
Ups set togethr: he gazes vacantly
nto the distance.
"Shot in the back again he muir
hoarsely, with an oath. "Come
IN, me boy! Rouse %yerself Come
M let's liquor, any way"
/ crawl dcjectedly after him to the
ent, for my mouth is as dry as a
me-burner's wig.
Well, that event was the turning
Joint in my life. That bad luck has
'een the making of me. l will tell
on how in as few words as possible.
| awoke the next morning in the
most utterly depressed and dispirited
condition. | had racking headache,
# course, for, equally of course, | had
got most consumedly drunk after the
ace. Perhaps that was natural un.
Ter the circumstances. Mind and
'ody were in torture, | felt gloomy
'nough to do something dreadful. |
vas utterly ruined; | had no pros
'ects i; everything | had possessed
vas NINE 40 longer. I had not even
he means left to earn my substance
With. In a day ortwo more my very
'ed would be seized and | should be
urned in the street.
My mind was IA little confused, you
ee. l had totally forgotten one
hing, and it was lucky | had, per
APPS. Not until late in the day did |
emember that | had backed the
Iakeshift Colt for a place. So over
IA my misery at losing
be $4,000 | had reckoned on, and
,Sing it by such u narrow squeak,
hat had clean forgotten the saving
ct.
| had turned into the Brush and
'alette moodily to seek what solace !
light find there. Suddenly some
.Dvereigns were thrust into my hand, !
nd | was told the money was the :
econd prize in the sweepstakes, :
l had drawn "the field" as =,
on may remember. :
All, it was q ine revision of feel :
lg | then experienced | cheered