Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-16
temper rising with nv determination to have
the animal for my own.

. nat II you Rimne, IL ieb you A@'>
hlmf Will you gimme note?'
A note in Australia means a pound note.
1 had no "notes" to spare, and, In any
case, it was an exorbitant price for 9 wild
horse. Still, I had such strong PRESENT..
ment that should not regret 1t, resolved
to submit to extortion for once.
Yes, Bill" replied, in conciliatory
tone, "if you'll save that colt for me, and
break him in, I'll give you a note"
Ruffian as he was, Bill was really the best
hand with horses on the run, and knew 1t
would fatter his vanity to ask him to break
the colt in ior me. In few minutes he
had finished the carnage and secured my
colt by halter, skilIully improvised with
the end of tether rope. 1t seemed too
scared and dazed with the noise and smoke
to make any effort to escape.
l had some words with the manager as to
adding another head to the stock on the run
in dry season; but he had reasons for
obliging me, and did not make much fuss
about it. In fact, as Bill had broken the
colt. by some method of horse tanning
peculiar to himself, liked it so we'll lthat l
consented to my old horse-a sorry station
hack-being turned out in the desert to take
its chance.
rode the roan regularly after that, and
though it had rough, ,ungainly appearance,
which no amount OF grooming could Inn
prove, and single pace that was walk, :,
trot, canter and gallop in one, found it the
most serviceable mount I ever had in my
life. One thing I soon found out about it.
No distance that 1 could ride it seemed to
fatigue it at all. Speed it had not; at least,
nothing much out Of the common for well
bred horse. But its staying power was SIM
ply miraculous.
ENTERED FOR A RACE.
came to love the patient little creature,
and it responded to any little kindness or
caresses. A year or 1S mouths after hap
pened to be at large town on the border OF
Queensland and New South Wales, where
the people are of very sporting turn, and
the race meeting is the great event of the
year. met there man whom l had for
merly known when he was an officer in the
Dragon Guards, but who had had many
ups and downs, and, at the time speak of,
was getting his living as a horse trainer.
We iraternized, for we had been good
friends, and were glad to meet again. One
evening, sitting in the commercial room of
the principal hotel, we were talking about
station life, aud told the Captain the story
OF the wild horses and the wonderful roam
colt.
'Do you think he'd stand trainiug?" in
quired the ex-dragoon. 81 never knew a
wild horse that would. They all get soft
and go to pieces as soon as you put corn
into them. But yours may be an exception.
There's a big sweepstake at our next meet
ing, three miles on the fiat, owners up. We
are sure to get rain before then and the
course will be like plowed field. The
horse that can stay longest will win the
race. If your roam has got the bottom that
you describe, and if he'll stand training, I'll
undertake that you shall win the sweep
$500 at least. There's only one horse that
you need have any fear of, and that's Cats
paw, hut if the roam will only keep hard I'll
back him against the favorite. You've time
to enter him if you'll look sharp, and I'll
take him in hand at once.
IT MADE THE CAPTAIN WHISTLE.
The next morning 1 entered Mazeppa,
as had named him for the big race, and
lett by the stage to bring him into
town. When my friend the Captain saw
him he raised his eyebrows and whistled
Poor MaZeppa, with his patient, heavy
staring all ways, no wonder the first sight of
him made the fastidious trainer shudder
What was much more alarming, however,
the first feed of corn made him very queer
and he fatty refused to eat the second. Here
was pretty state of affairs. The Captain
tain stroked his mustache gloomily and
looked as black as thunder.
Those desert byutes are all alike" he
"Confound them. And here I
have been and given to on the field against
Catspaw."
didn't like to hear Mazeppa called
desert brute, so said to the Captain: "How
would it do to train him on grass, and trust
20 his natural stamina to pull him through?"
Train him on grass!" he exclaimed, with
, pitying smile. And Catspaw trained on
olack oats two years old! Do you want to be
he laughing stock OF the whole course?"
II don't mind that" replied brayely.
'but don't believe we shall be ANYTHING of
he sort. know what the horse can do"
MAzEPPA TURNED OUT ON GRASS.
Ny friend had always been a bit of
olunger, and he admired my pluck. Ma
,eppa was turned out then and there on a
'ougb hillside near the town, and within an
hour he was peacefully browsing the scanty
yrass and thorny bushes. The more the
Captain saw of him the better he liked him.
Ny business took me away during the great
II part OF the interval before the race meet
ng, but had several letters to say that
Mazeppa was getting ON famously, and
would rather astonsh the knowing ones.
When the great day came 1 confess felt
nervous. Compared with the
,orn-fed racehorses, especially the superb
Mazeppa looked positively awful.
As we came out of the sajdling paddock the
'rowd sent up a roar of laughter. The bet
ing was 10 to 1 against my poor roam, at
which figure the Captain put on modest lit
lie pot on our joint account, for he assured
ne we had nothing to fear. 1t had been
aiming on and off ior three days, and the
course was mass OF stiff clay. 1t was just
mile in length, and We had to 90 round
hree times.
Mazeppa took his place in line as stolidly
IS if we had been rounding up sheep, but
here we're half dozen false starts before the
'thers could be got off properly. They went
way from US as if we had been standing
till. Mazeppa, however, got into his stride,
uch as 1t was. from the very post and never
,aried in it the least When we passed the
tand after the first round, Catspaw was lead
ng just as he pleased, four or five horses
coming on in bunch dozen lengths be-
lind him. Mazeppa was still last, but not
Tery far in the rear. and the rest had already
lropped out OF it, covered with mud. two
laving fallen down and one bolted of the
ourse.
THE LAST HALF MILE.
About the middle of the last mile Mazeppa
lad passed the mob, and was going like
in smooth water, while Catspaw,
hough still long way ahead, was laboring
erribly, and taking all the whalebone his
ider could give.
As we ran into the straight the crowd sud-
enIy realized the situation, and sent up
hout that made my flesh creep and my
lood boil.
Now. old boy! Away you go! 'zepl
Yep! Yep" cried, pressing his sides with
ny knees.
T hardly tpau what b,ooo,aa ,,x+ fo-