The St. Johns herald., 1891-03-19
Only a Horse.

the unpleasant task of consigning
 him to his grave.
 Everybody who has resided in Tombstone has seen and admired old Cap" whose early record as a running horse dates back to Santa Barbara in the seventies, where his owner who raised him won many a thousand dollars on his speed. Nick Covarrubiar, Sheriff of Santa Bar bara county, was his first master, and only those who saw him run in '75 could fully appreciate him.
 He was only a colt, and his long, lean, cadaverous look went against him as he came upon the track one afternoon in September to compete for che free for all purse against a field of record breakers of maturer age. There were eighteen of them to start, and Nick's offering was considered in the light of a joke, but a sorry joke it was for all but "Cap's" packer. Nick backed him for all he was worth, even going so far as to hypothecate his salary for year ahead. So reckless did he become that his friends sought to pull him away from the track. Ten to one against his horse was offered and taken as long as he could get anything to put up. His last was to offer to bet Gap" against the favorite, which so incensed the own CT of the latter that he was with difficulty restrained from attacking the owner of Gap"
 It was a pretty start. It was Caps" first effort and he was a little behind on the start and on the first quarter was not considered in it. For the first half mile he did not seem to know what was ex- pected of him, and when he came to the string on the finish of the first half Nick ran out on the track and the colt came to a standstill and began to run his nose in his pocket, while the other horses were going for dear life.
 It seemed an hour to Nick, so he said afterwards, that the horse stood at his side, but in reality it was not more than two seconds. He patted him on the neck once, spoke two or three words to him in Spanish, and the expression that came over Caps" face seemed almost human. He looked ahead at the bunch of racers, his ears went back on his lean neck, his nose stood on a straight line with his body, and with an appearance more like a jack-rab- bit than a horse, flew around his rivals, He did not seem as though he touched to ground. One after the other of rear racers was passed and Gap" and his rider Were soon lost in the bunch.
 On the last turn his nose could be seen close to the front. and when about 100 yards from the string his entire form appeared, and what a sight! The saddle had slipped back on to his tail and the bridle reins hung loose upon his neck, while the jockey, with his arms around "Cap's" neck and his feet around the pommel ofa p0nderous Mexican saddle, kept the latter from slipping entirely of.
 Nick stood in the middle of the track, both hands in the air, and blue streak of Spanish greeted the oncoming of his pet. Nick had the reputation of being the handsomest man in Southern California, and it belonged to him that day, as with his black hair streaming in the wind and his erect figure clad in immaculate white linen, he seemed to pray to his idol to save him from a financial avalanche. As soon as the colt caught sight of him the race was won. 4 quicker gait and a longer stride brought him under tba uira Q fu1l lpnrtb in advance of