The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-08

| cneSt, pIauCluS anu GufFetlAS liAc h4dN'
! yet readily obeyng the rein. After Ter
came soberly pacing Bendigo. grandson to
J Pot-s-os, a good, substantial bay. with fun
| black points; next Mops, a washy sorrei,
| though reasonably well bred. and after
! him. Blackjack, a spanking Highhyer
chestnut, who could go like the wind,
| though even his owner admitted he could
| hardly stay the route At the very end,
Roxane her silver name tied with blood
red ribbons. her tail streaming plume
wise and glistening in the sun. She held
her head low under a free. almost loose
! rein. Shanky, Lawsons black body SER
want, rode her, as he did in nearly all her
| exercise gallops,
She moved a little heavily. Commonly
| she was quick as a cat. The wiseacreS
| shook the head and agreed instantly that
she was overtraned-she could never win
| the Fourth of July in such company But
Isham hanging half out of saddle to look
back at her made a face and murmured:
| "Humph! You metty sateful Miss Roxy
Ann! Maybe you foolin all desc people,
but you amt done fooled me. Presently
youse gwine wake up. an ra'ar an charge,
| an split de win-but Bonuetn be right
dar wild ye-ceptin' de passon he take an
tuhn VILE
AS they rode down to the start Lawson
shouted TO the parson, I'm going TO beat
you-no matter who has the best horse"
81 am going to beat you-God being my
helper" the parson called back. Il think
have the best horse-I know have the
best cause"
Exactly three minutes later the drum
tapped and the five horses went away
aligned like file of cavalry. For at
least 100 yards they held in rank. Then
Blackjack shot clear by an open length
and stretched away for the first turn with
a defiant snort Blue Bonnet fought to
go after him. The parson took double
wrap on her Blackjack was he knew
merely an incident Roxane lay well back
there he must keep his eye.
The first mile around was so slow
Blackjack increased his lead to dozen
lengths Blue Bonnet began to foam
Her rider let out a wrap. Instantly she
rushed to collar the chestnut. In the
next mile she caught and passed him.
though still he ran strong and free. Mops
came for second to her throatlatch then
dropped back, failing so steadily as TO
show he was out of be race. Bendigo
ran a consistent third. RoXane was alb
soutely last.
Yet in the last half mile she woke up,
passed the other three as though they
were anchored, and dashed under the
string, beaten by a short head 1t was
a marvellous performance, amazing even
| 20 those who knew the white mare best.
| She ran so true, so easily, with such even
! swiftness the best-.rained eye got no
rght perception Of her speed. Even Blue
| Bonnet's partisans rubbed hands in de-
light saying: TITS a race for blood now
and only two in ii"
1.-The powers Of light and darkness are
contending here" The parson said to a
| remonstrant pious friend Lawson over
heard, and laughed quietly.
1.-The powers are oddly horsed, parson,
he said, IT reckon as you see things
light rides the color of darkness, anc
darkness the color of light"
Mops distanced, Blackjack withdrawn
| left but three contepders in the second
heat. Blue Bonnet came out for it read
| Ter than ever. She spoiled three goot
starts, indeed by her eagerness to be ou
in front. When at last they were SEN
away toge her, she was neither to hole
nor to bind. Leaping, plunging bucking
she took the rail, held it, ana settled int
a sweeping run Her feet flew inVisiblS
with the rytbm and precision of some
mighty machine her low head nodded
slightly at each bound, foam flakes gath
cred and flew from the bit-by time thu
third mile began she was white from
counter to tail. Her riders heart leaped
He had feared only for her temper. 81
long as she kept the lead, / e knew he wa
safe. He dared not look back. Shouts
from the stand as he passed it this tint
let him know that Blue Bonnet looked {
winner all over. But he caught the unfail
ing rataplan of these other hoofs behind
From the first they had not varied by
The least fraction of a second. He knew
and dreaded the say of the desert. He
must win now, IL he was to win at all.
Into the last quarter Blue Bonnet Lee
CALAMITY, though her laborlpg breath an6
glaring eyehalls sad she was almos
spent. The parson hanging in his stirrups
leaned far over her neck. soothing, en-
couraging with hand and voice. Now ant
again he gave her the spur sharply. h
knew it was idle to go to the whip. The
generous b God in her veins would do it:
b st without Easing her, lifting her. urg
ing her ever forward, he brought her, still
leading, wi hin 30 yards of the string.
He could see the nodding blue purse
above, catch the simmer of the gol(
fringe, and hear across the wild hubbuI
OF the crowd, the rapid hammeTng o.
his own exul ant heart. In that minute
he learned, some deeps of his own mint
which years of intervention would scarce
~ have made clear to him. He did truly
desire to save a soul from death, but h,
desired it with all the natural mans lus
of triumph.
Still the heart beats rang in his ears
Suddenly the hocf beats behind quick
cred He saw a white h 'ad with fiery eye
and pink, faring nostrils fash past-saV
a plume-lke tail Haunted almost in Blu,
Bonnets eyes. And as he saw it, there
came back to him Ishams whispered pc
tition before the start: EFF dat dar Roxy
Ann crowds yer, marsa, you s Gus!
Bonnet one I'LL Jenny cuss. She-she''
ulster dat She know whut hit means-an
dee cont nobody else in dis worl hear
hit"
1t was out Of the question-still he fell
himself tempted. Roxane and Lawson saw
ed him With one long, steady lift law
son sent his mount first across the fnisl
line. Then, as the crowd went wild, h,
sprang down. before she was still. fluns
his arms about her neck, and cried: zee
your breath, old girl! You need 1t all, ant
more, before we are through"
The sun was almost down. Nigh
would come before the run off, but No
soul thought of leaving the course. Al
waited for it in throbbing, feverish i'm
patience It was dewy dusk when the tive
mares went out 10 try the final issue
Both had recovered wonderfully. Blu,
Bonnet, if no longer on edge, ran true
and strong. This time Roxane rated easi
ly at her quarter. The two riders might
have exchanged condolences, but neither
had q thought for anything save winning
After the first mile the racers rar
stride for stride. They swung 70 thu
turns and swept the stretches like a dou
little away, only to drop back In company