The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-17

the mile track. The racers would come
past it twice ere the race was won AMI
lost.
Come? You must see this finish" the
starter said dragging Jewett away with
him. Jewett stood up in the break rs
it raced across the infield, his eyes glued
to the glass. And thus he saw Sassy
settle down to running in an easy. ollie
tante fashion that hardly swayed En-
try, standing IN stirrups. He set his
teeth hard. He had never known how
great and lively his hope was. until now
when he was finding out that all hope
was vain. The field had swept past be-
fore he reached the stand. Ii would come
again, and yet again-with who knew
what leading.
Take all de room you wants old 90
man. ENtry sang out to Sassy, as ne
round the others punching and crowdirg
Tor the rail. Us don want no pockets
not ontel de moneys won. Us wants ter
git dar-an' us wants daylight ter git dar
in"
stu Sassy ran as though she were out
Tor play-spin. Once she mumbled the
PIC and EXtry's heart gave a great leap:
Ell NouS memberin' dem apples dee
Is balls ub um fer ye. in dat dar
cup, he said. Extry had sublime
faith in Sassys intelligence. He was GER
tain she understood every word.
Sne was almost last-just level with
hips, in fact, but none of the others
were so near as to make her feel uncom-
fortably out of it, Extry leaned farther
along her neck, saying: "Ole CONAN, dis
amt no time fer foolshness. Fust ting
You Know, you gwine lose yourself-an
all de rest whar Marse Jewett is got
Ihey were coming 10 the stand for the
second time. Tenderfoot led the field a
length clear of everything. but Lustral,
who hung at his throat latch. The SUI
pers were trailing. the worst of them a
dozen lengths behind Sassy, who was
last of the real ccntenders Whips even
| Haunted his silky flag ahead. Jeweit
| shut his eyes, smothering groan. Sds-
sy had never won unless she won al the
way. 1t was but mile now TO victory
ami the gold cup. Already che air Was
rent with shouts from the partisans of
| Tonderfoot and Lustral.
Another cry, faint, amazed, half-whim-
pering. made Jewett open his eyes quick
ly. He saw long brown, moving blur,
with faint red dot on top of il, stream
out, collar the leaders and shape itself
into a racer against the Whitley brown
of the course. Sassy was running az
last, running so swiftly the eye unaided
could not mark stretch gather. She
ran low, with a long, stealing stride,
stomach almost to earth, neck extended,
eyes afame. After the first cry SUN
ned silence held the crowd. II had known
Jewetts crazy mare could run
the question was, could she stay?
Sassy answered it in her own way. Like
| he wind hut swifter, she swept the out
stretch, heelng on the turn so as not to
lose way She might have taken the rail
there, but Extry disdained it. Straight
down the middle he came, his lips work
ing. tears rolling down his ashy face
"OOp-ee! De ole CONAN done walked
upi" he cried, "but nobody heard him;
| the course had broken suddenly into a
] ,f in hn ha oh
stretch now-but half a mile away from
the gold cup. In less than a minute
but what was that! Tenderfoot was out
Of it for good, but Lustral had come
again. Like an arrow he shot beside the
brown mare, hugging the rail, and run
ming well in hand.
| His tanks were red and reeking-foam
flew from the bit as he ran. Extry had
| flung away his whip. He wore spurs, but
! Sassy had never felt their prcking. 1t lay
wholly with her 10 win or lose the race.
You see dat dar Mister Luster?" he
shouted in her ear. "Ole CONAN, you tell
| him not ter come borderin' you"
Stride for stride the horse and mare
went through the baekstretch, side by
| side they sprang for home and the cup
| Iustrals jockey Penny, sat down to tide
with all his might. Extry half sighed az
| he caught the swish of catgut and saw
| the gallant black forge half a length
/ IL
fiatter than ever. poked her nose forward.
gathered herself and sprang even IN Two
| bounds At the furlong pole she WIS
| neck to the good and running strong and
| free. Extry gulped a great sob of triumph
| He had followed Marse JeWetts lead an >
| bv the hand of his mother risked $40 on
| his pet He remembered that only din "
| as one faint ingredient in his cup of bliss
! He dared not look over his shoulder, but
| shouts and cries told him Tenderfoot was
| creeping up.
| 81 don't keer eff US does run fus ani
| second-des so us two is fus,' he snouteo
| to Sassy. Then, for breath, he grew bl no
and sick. Right in front of him a lit e
child. a laughing toddler, four years old
| had while it's mother, a trainers vic,
was absorbed in watching, crept through
| the rail- and stood crying unc rtalnly IN
| the middle of the course. 1t was In no
| danger from Lustral-the other horse
might also pass it unscathed. Sa-sy
must swerve or check or run over II. me
| alternative WAS murder or defeat.
Extry drew a long breath, then clear
across the babel he heard Jew It shout;
pull up! Pull up! Save the child! NO
matter about the race"
F,xtrv pulled to the outside, those be-
hind him to the rail. The whirlwird
hoofs went past the fodder, and sassy
had lost her lead. She was length be
! hind Iustral, even with Tenderfoot-ahu
clearly disguised with the way she mao
! heen used. The wire was just a hundred
wards ahead. Extry groaned a'ouo.
| Must be de Lawd; he's agin us, ole 90
man" he said. "But-but do try, des er
| little bit mo'"'
The wind was blowing down the stretch
| II brought 10 him a fine and familiar ira
! rrance.-the scent of full-ripe mellow APP
| ples. As he shifted it he shouted: GLORY
| C1lorvl Go on, ole ooman! Sassy answer
| ed him by such a burst of speed as the
! West Side park had never seen. Like
| the whirlwind, the devouring flame, she
| tore along, passed Lustral let in day
| light between herself and him, and went
| under the wire at a rate that smashed
alike the track record and the racer s
| sex tradition.
And as she caught the judges eye three
| men who had crowded to the rail just
beyond the winning post flung their hats
up wildly, thereby scattering red apples
| over the grass at their feet. They took
other apples from bulgng pockets and
| sent them voleying all over the shouting
| crowd When the volleying was finished
| they Joined hands. and executed a new
pattern of war dance. in course of which
| they Rugged themselves impartially and
| shook hands with each other at least
a dozen times.
How did ii all happen?" one of them
said TO impatient inquirers. 90. we've
! had our eyes open all along. We watched
| Sassy at work-we knew she'd go her