The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-07-05

NIbs "OOu IuCh W III Jul
1 confess 1 had my misgivings, al
though the gambling fever had come
over me and impelled me to risk my
little all upon this horse. To me it was a
grand coup indeed. 1t meant so much, you
see; for either I should come out an actual
capitalist, possessor of a sum that to me
seemed almost boundless wealth-"a base
of operations. as Jimmy called it-or 1
should be completely and utterly broken
You may imagine the state of mind l was
mat one moment seeing a simply golden
prospect before me, anon seized with the
dismallest doubts and fears. And the fol:
lowing day my excitement grew hotter yet;
for in all the papers the Makeshift Colt was
ting; and apparently he had come into
favor, as the price against him had fallen
to .forties to one. Still more reassuring
was the fact that two sporting papers gave
the Makeshift Colt as one of their three
probable winners. The secret was a secret
no longer.
now got into a wild delirious ecstasy of
expectation. You can well imagine how l
felt. l went SO far as to telegraph to that
relative of mine, alleging. that was in
want and had sore need of his help. I also
borrowed some five pounds here and there,
and "cracked it on" with the rest.
My relative evidently smelt a rat, how
ever. He was a man of the world, as the
phrase goes, and had a low opinion of me,
which l I'M now open to confess was not
wholly unwarranted. He wired in reply:
"Believe you want to bet on Derby. Will
send ten pounds, but not until Saturday
morning, when expect it,"
However, on showing his telegram to the
landlord of the Brush and Palette, that
worthy publican readily advanced me the
ten pounds. I thus "sold" my kind rela-
tive, you will observe, through the instru-
mentality of the general guide, philosopher
and friend of good Bohemians.
At last came the eventful morning and
Jimmy and / found ourselves in a brake
1 "a f1-~ @,-
"pub" down to EPSON. l need not say that
1 lac put IN the bulk of nay ten pounds,
getting forty to one, and eight to one for a
"shop." A long price still; but the colt
had not come into general favor much, and
indeed, actually started at little below
Ali I don't think I shall ever forget that
day. No, sir! The fearful agitation 1 was
in has impressed every detail of it indeli-
bly, on my memory. Consider. I stood to
to me a wife, a home, substance, comfort,
responsibility, a business. On the other
hand, a black abyss of woe seemed to open
to my imagination.
Stand and watched the preparations for
the race. Jimmy the boisterous had sud-
denly quieted dow into a grim, white
faced, eager-eyed, silent spectator. l was
so agitated that l had to lie onthe turf. My
head swan round, my heart palpitated
forcibly. I shook all over as If I had a
palsy.
Among the mass of horses m~arshalling
into rank for the start we had eyes but for
n Among the many hues of their jock
eys, silks we sought out the colors that sig
niied u particular cho~ice.%Purple and
black-theres they were; and we gazed at
them feverishly, for the noble animal that
bore them carried also our hopes and fears.
They are off The race has begun and
the decision of my fate is at hand. / see the
brilliant bed of colers stream past and
away, 1 hear the intense murmurS of the
crowd, and l stand, as gambler stands,
awaiting the cast of the die.
kO>my God! how it all comes back to me,
though ten ~eventfuf years have passed since
that dayi Surely such a terrible agitation
of mind as shook me thenis madness-mad
ness, neither more nor less.
The field comes sweeping round ''the
corner" tailed off into extended line, and
down the hill towards home come the
horses, in one last tremendous effort. A
| 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 straining eyes. gs
Great Heavens Where is the Makeshift
Colt! Where is the racer to whom I nave
pinned ny faith? As the foremost horses
come in sight 1 hear the tremendous fren-
zied roar that bursts, up from the mighty
%concourse of spectators. For a moment my
heart seems to stop beating. 1t is death to
me to hear that shouts:
"Cremorne! Cremornei Cremorne winslr
But no! Out from the ruck of horses
behind, just as they come down from Tat.
tenham Corner, one draws to the front-a
dark horse, brown or black, ridden by a
jockey in colors that are a heaven of hope
to my sight. o. on, Black and Purple
On, Makeshift Coltl
The dark horse FORCES ahead, passes the
two behind the foremost, lies o the 1ank
of Red and Yellow. Even in all my terrible
excitement | notice a dropping in the roars
of the mighty crowd, a sort of falter OF
perplexity-for few know what horse Black
and Purple rides. hear a man near me
hoarsely exclaim:
"What the dickens horse is that?"
I know, and / leap up in a mad thrill OF
delight. As the striving racers flash before
us I 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 and nearer, forging ahead
till they ride neck and neck, comes my
He is passing Red and Yellow! He is gain.
ing a foot in every yardi He wins! he
wins! Black and Purple for ever!
The race is over. The fierce turmoil 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 upon the board.
At last they appear: /, Cremorne; 2, Make
shift Colt; 8, 1 know not what, for 1 sink
almost fainting on the ground.
Half a neck has done it. Had our horse
/ put on the squirt a m sooner he would
have'won. Had the course been ten yards
longer the decision would lave been re.
versed. @, if-if-if- And 1 nave lost
O'Hooligan is beside me. He stands with
his hands thrust down deep into his peck.
cts, his face is pale and his lips set to.
gether; he gazes vacantly into the dist
ance.
"Shot in the back again" he murmurs
hoarsely, with an oath. "Come on, me
hoy boy! sn K0uss Sy,srself' Come an let's liq'
1 crawl dejectedly after him to the tent
for my mouth is as dry as a limeburner's
wig. e - Z
my life. That bad1uck has been the max
ing of me. 1 will tell you how in as few
words as possible.
l awoke the next morning in the mos
utterly depressed and dispirited condition
1 had a racking headache, of course, fol
equally of course, 1 bad got most con
sumedly drunk after the race. Perhap:
that was natural under the circumstances
Mind and body were in torture. l fell
gloomy enough to do something dreadful
1 was utterly ruined; l had no prospects
everything L had possessed was mine
no longer; 1 had not ven the mean.
left to earn my subsistence with. Ii
a day or two more my very bed would b.
, seized, and I should be turned into thu
street.
My mind was a little confused, you see
1 had totally forgotten one thing, and i
was lucky 1 had, perhaps. Not until late
!, in the day did l remember thatI had backed
, the Makeshift Colt for a place. So over
/ whelming was my misery at losing thu
3000L. 1 had reckoned on, and losing it by
l such a narrow squeak, that l had clean for
/, gotten the saving bet,
4 1 had turned into the Brush and PALETTE
? modify to seek what solace l might fine
there. Suddenly some sovereigns 'wer
! thrust into my hand and 1 was told thu
money was the second prize in the sweep
3 stakes, wherein l had drawn "the field" a
you may remember.
e All, it was a fine revulsion of feeling
then experienced! 1 cheered up wonder
Y fully when 1 recollected how Ireally stood
Things were by no means SO black as / ha,
e thought. As a matter of fact, 1 had actu