Evening star., 1900-12-22


da is mine. sab.
From dat cay, sab. to de day of de
race, Chris mus mornin', dat Firefy git
dat 'tention from ME an Marse George 8
| father dat jes make her fit to do anything,
| sab. Course de news of de race go all
| over de county, an all over de state. TO-
dat, sab, an when Chris mus mornin come
long, an we all Ass dere ready, 1 reckon
dere warn't moren milyun people dere
to see it. De young missis was dere, an
wild her was dat yaller gal l know what
horse dat gal wdnt see win, sab, an 1
b'ieves knows what horse de young missis
want see win, an ez We goes to de startin
post l say to m sell, IF dat Firefy wins yo
gifts her, an If dat Ole Hick'ry wins some
other niger gifts her.
"Dey is bettin' fo' to one agin Firefiy ez
de flag falls, an off we goes in dat fus
| heat. an de way dat Ole Hickry eat up
groun, sab, ez we runs de fus' mile was
sight to see. sab, fo' at de en- Of de
| mile he bout five lengths N front, an jes
gallopin'. Marse Georges father done
'structed me- san, TO to low Ole Hick ry
to make de pace, an so his bein dat far
head isn't trubbl.n' me. When we finish
de secon' mile dere warn't no change, an
dat boy on Ole Hick'ry he jeS hodin him
steady an now an den lookin' back an
GRIMM at me. l say to m'sef, Grin long
las So we finish de third mile, an de
mint we do dat boy on Ole Hick'ry all OF
sudden let loose wrap on dat horse,
an de fus thing | knows he done git SIX
or seben lengths head of dat Firef1y an
goin fas'er an faser. Wild dat l gives
Firefy nudge, an dat mare she do some
jumpin' out herself, an pulls up to bout a
length of Ole Hick'ry. In dat way we
swings into de stretch, an dat boy on Ole
Hickry an me on dat Firefly ridin' shore
huff. Half way down de homestretch she
close de gap, so dere isn't daylight tween
Course, dat yaller gal. sab, don't seem
so shore To- me den. an has right smart
mis'ry as l rides back to de jedges' stan
Marse Georges father he feeln powfu
bad. sab, an he say dat 'lowin' dat boy on
Ole Hick'ry to git dem extra lengths all Of
a sudden done beat de mare n dat heat
But he look over whar de young mssis sot.
solemn like, an he say l is got to be mo-
careful de mex time. Ole Marse Tom Bu-
ford he chuckn to hisself an a-tellin de
folks dat Ole Hick'ry gw"ine to distance dat
Firefy in the mex heat, an dat boy he grin
de secon heat, an we is off agin. Dis time.
sab, / isn't to be kotched napp!n, an 1
jes' places dat Firefiy right iongside Ole
Hickr'y, an makes it jump fo' jump wild
side an at de en- of de secon' mile 1t jes'
de same
DE fus' quarter of de third mile dat boy
on Ole Hick'ry he lets loose a wrap an.
lets loose a wrap, an we is still Jumpln'
side by side. So We comes to de finish or
de third mile. an jes befo we starts in on
de fo'th l let's loose one mo- wrap. digs my
heels into dat mares sides, an befo' dat
boy on Ole Fickry wake up dat Firef1y in
de lead by two lengths. l isn't lookln
back to see wedder dat boy is a-grinnin
now, sab, but ! lows dat he amt. an !
jes' keeps dat mare a-movin' right long,
Ole Hick'ry he a-movin hissef, an eZ we
turns into de homestretch hears him
a-comin' closer an closer. Stiii ism
look!n back. but jes' straight head an
a-hugg:n' dat rail like de houn's hug de
fox. Ole Hick'ry git whip an spur, but
dat Firefy keep him behind her an beat
hin, to de wire good head.
"Ole Marse Tom Buford, when he see
dat mare take dat heat from Ole Hick'ry.
isn't chucklin' no mo-; but Marse Georges
father he a-smilin all over his face. Dat
yaller gal she a-smlin'. too. an + see dat
de young missis.s isn't a-cryin. Marse
Georges father he say to me Take no
chances in de mex heat an don't low Ole
Hick'ry to git out of reachin' distance II
yo' dces,' he say. dat yaller gal be out OF
what what I is ridin TO what gw,ne be yo'
p-iza Il dat mare VIM He say, Boy,
nebber yo' mine what my prize gw1ne 10 De-
Yorn is de one yo' Is eonsarned IN
"Jes den we go out fo' dat d'cidin' heat.
an we is off in a hurry. Da. boy on Ole
Hick'ry amt takn' no chances, eeder an
spite me he put dat horse two lengths IN
font Of dat mare befo' we goes half a
mile But Firefy she srunnin easy, sab.
an Ole Hickry don't git no furder from
her. Ez we turns into de las quarter OF de
fTs mile dat boys on Ole Hick'ry try to
ketch me nappin, but I'm a-Watchin MIN:
some. We passes de }gran'stan in hurry,
an starts on de secon' mile wild bofe dem
horses jumpin' jump fo' jump. an in dat
way we runs de asecsn'@ mile an starts
de third Dat Firefy hangn' on to dat Ole
Hick'ry like death, sab. but eZ We draws
nigh to de en- of dat third mile see DAT
10y on Ole Hick'ry look back quick like,
an s'picionn' what gwine do, I lets
loose a wrap on dat mare befo' dat boy git
his head 'roun' straight, an de fus thing he
know dat Firef1y done eat up one of dem
two lengths.
"Yas. sab, dat she did an so when we
starts in on de fo'th mile Ole Hick'ry jes a
length to de good an dat mare runnin'
easy. But dat Ole Hick'ry he runnin easy.
dat Ole Hick'ry. sab. keep dat length head.
bens lower down on dat Firefy's neck an
nudge her wild my heels. an she jump long
fas'er. But dat Ole Hick'ry he a-jumpin'
| long hisself. I bens down lower y.t an
den 1 is a-gainin' inch by inch.
Inch by inch, sab. dat Firefy ketch dat Ole
Hick'ry til when turns into de las
quarter of de fo'th mile of dat third heat
dat mares head it a-bobbin' at dat boys
heels sab.
1--WE is bofe a-ridin an a-drivin now.
sab. wild dat boy on Ole Hickry usin' whip
an spur, sab. | ben's lower an lower yit
on dat mares neck. but nebber techin' her
wild whip spur. sab, jes a-beggin' an
a-coaXin' an a-pleadin' wild her to go long
jes' a leetle fas'er We is a furlong from
| de wire now. sab, an dat Ole Hick'ry he
peoples yellin ole Hick'ry wins Ole
Hickry. an 1 bens lower an lower over
dat mares neck, till at las I gifts my mouf
to her years. Den I whispers: 'Firefly.
Firefiy. is yo' doin' yo' bestest? Is yo'
gwine low dat Ole Hick'ry, dat Buford
| horse, beat yo,' an disgrace de whole Bent
ley family, includn' of yoself?'
Dat mare she know what l a-sayin' an
she lay back her years. sab. an she jump
faser an tas'er den befo'. an l sees dat
gap tween dat mare an dat Ole Hick'ry git
sho'ter an shoter an den we is in de las
sixteenth of dat foth mile. Now de peo-
pies is a-yelin: De mare is a-ketchin' him.
De mare wins Firefiy. Firefy.' Inch by
inch Ole Hckry draps back, back, sah It'll
at las dem two horses is nose an nose,
an a-jumpin' jump fo' jump. Dey is YELL
in an yellin like dey is mad. de peoples
is: Firef1y wins. Ole Hickry wins FREELY
Ole Hick'ry. De mare wins. Ole Hick'ry'
A few mo- jumps. jes few mo- an de
| race Is over. L sees dat yaller gal befo me,
l r'members what Marse Georges father
done say. an as de cries of de peoples is
a-ringin' In my years. l digs my heels in
dat mares sides, she gives one mighty
stride, an we passes under de wire
Which won. Firef1y Old Hickory? ?"
| asked the old man, as he paused.
Il done re kon, sah." he replied, his
black face breaking into a broad grim ut
| tain't Necessary fo' me to say. sah when l