The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-09-23
RISING FAWN.
BY MaRrH, McCuLLouH-wrL

BY MARINA VIC tLLOuH-N iLhisMe.
Continued from last week.
"Thare was deep guttura' ugh-b.
Of satisfaction as the int rpreters
shouted aloud cur decision The
red fell We eoide1t'y likei to have
their delici u suspense drawn out
az long rs possible. They almost
smiled when the run off proved a
dead heat ~ 70 two. When, in the
third trial, High Polar's pony, a
nimble, mouse-colored fellow, had a
clear yard the best of it, even the
losers appeared to be well satisfied.
The day went on with varing for
tune. Nobody stopped to eat or
drink beyo d furtiye mouthful
suatched now and then. High Polar
won and lost, but on the whole was
far ahead until the day was well on
the turn, and pretty well V'ry bit
of personal property on the ground
had changed fards three times at
least.
"Then the racers began coming in
from new herd. 1t WAS that of
Hole-in-the- Rock, a Chickasaw, who
lived over toward the Mississippi.
The int rpreters told us he had years
before stolen two thoroughbred mares
from II Virginia emigraut. 1t was
this alien strain which made his
ponies so dangerous. We understood
when they came in view. Though
they were no bigger, NJ cleanar of
limb than the rest, they had much
of the true racing conformation-a
certain play of muscle and lift of
the head to say nothing of the wide
nostrlls and roomy chest which
promised breath and stay.
"IIole-in-the- Rock, he heap big
Injun-got heap good horse my
interpreter said, noddlng as three
racy beast went by US, stepping as
=. though they -tr9d en air. high
Polar, big Ipjun, got big horse, too.
High Polar kill horse-if horse let
um be beat
"'Do you mea' kill the rl1er: l
asked.
"Wild Goose, the interpreter,
shook his head saying:
"No; kill horse. High Polor no
feed-no keep horse if um git beat.
Hole-in the-Rock no beat him-got
more fr' sh pony down rive' 10 cane
"'He'd better trot, EN- out then
these new ones can burn the wind eff
| amt Mistaken Ned Trasket, who
was my fellow-judge, said, looking
critically after the three creatures
vanishing down the track. Wild
Goose laid one hand over the other
upon the knee, saying with unmoved
face, You wait. He bring um when
times come
Align Polar was crafty as he was
brave. He brought out nothing
fresh until Hole-in-the- Rock had
won four dashes in quick succession.
Yet the faith of hts followers was
mistaken. They backed his horses
with the utmost confidence, even
parting with the clothes they had
on. The madness of gaming indeed
possessed everybody. The richer
chiefs brought out bags of coin, aud
lent almost at haphazard to those
who had nothing further to wage.
One slave within the stockade had
had seven owners since morning. As
to horses and the few crazy vehi les,
they had been lost and won over, till
in many cases they had come back to
the first possess,r through a d>zen
intermediate hands.
Toward four o'clock there was a
little luli-the sort of hush that
presages 6ercer storm. Every body
was talking eagerly, but in low,
stridulous tones that recalled the
clamor of locusts in June mid day.
At once shrill barbaric yelling be
gan afar down the thropg. 1t spread
from lip to liz, louder, louder, every
breath. Strainirg our eyes, we saw
the occasion of ia half dozen
racers, finer, handsomer, more full
of emulous fire than any which had
run over the course that day. They
were in groups Of three-e,ch grou .
evidently the pick of its herd
"Soon High Polar and Hole-in. the.
Rock, the owners came to let know
the conditions of this, the final race.
1t was q match, the horses to run in
pairs; the winner OF the third heat
to be declared Wet IL all. That
was certainly fair enough and made
our task so much easier. We dew
a long breath of relief, though still
it was pretty ticklish thing, if the
event were close, to say those wild
savages who had lost and won.
ain the first run Hole in-Lhe
Rocks pony was good length ahead
la the second IL gh Polsr's ensr,
had as clear head. When tn
third rair came out there was ab
solute stiffness all through tn
crowd. Feeling was 8, t.nse tina
even we white men caught the coota
gion, AID thrilled aud grew hot an,
cold as though we had thousand
at stake. As the pair drew to tn
starting p'st a long sigh ripplet
over the assembly. It grew ant
s~elled to roar a. the boys wer
tossed up on the racer', and thei
hesds TUNED down stretch to gail
S~--s..