The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-17

his commission in the Ninth hussars.
gag was good enough for the "open
handicap" there could be very little
doubt about 1t whatever.
Layton realized what it meant. 1t
was the very softest kind of a snap.
With this knowledge he could back
the horse for more than enough to pay
off Gaiety's debts with the Marwarie.
But it would be hardly honorable to-
ward johnson. He had Numbered up
on the captains secret almost stolen it.
He could scarcely do it.
And then, on the other hand, the
greasy, covetous face of the money
lender peered at him from the thick
folds of a peepul tree and sneeringly
asked why the sahibs signed notes
they could not pay.
1t meant ruin and shame and all the
rest of it, and even the face of his
friend, of Gaiety, all the happy boyish-
ness gone, was there in the evening
dusk, drawn and white and pleading.
1t was bitter struggle, for Layton
had honor, plenty of it, but the odds
We're too great. He could not fight
against it, and besides johnson had not
confided in him. had not trusted him,
had not put him on his honor. 1t was
his luck that he had seen the trial.
Fate had drawn him there to show him
way out of his difficulty.
Also, if he bought Zigzag in the lot
teries johnson could claim half every
time. They could both win quite
enough, for the lotteries would be very
heavy.
This was the day before the opening
of the Lucknow spring meeting
1t was the next morning Frank John
son was walking home from the course
after having seen his string exercised,
when lie was stopped by one Harvey,
trainer to the rajah of Jagnat.
Good mornin, Meester Johnson" be-
gan Harvey, ard in his manner was
much of the I've got something behind
ell this style.
What is it. Harvey?" said Johnson.
scenting the something at once.
"WeIl, sir. you know Simpkin. don't
you?"
SIS he any good?" asked Johnson.
Hes never done anything yet"
That's hall right, SIR answered the
trainer with wink, "hand 'e's in the
big 'andicap here, the same race as
your Zigzag's in"
"Well?" queried Johnson.
"The 'andicapper don't know much
about i'm ere sir. hand if you 'appen-
ed to be hanywhere near when the
weights was bein made hup and could
get tidy weight hon him we could
land the stuff"
What weightll do your asked the
owner of Zigzag.
"Hanything under stone pounds
With S stone pounds on is back he
could gallop right away from the both
Z ers.''
Then Harvey explained to the cap
tain all about the trials Simpkin had
given them down at Jagnat; how he
had beaten horses that quite outclasse(
I ZigZag, until johnson saw that with 6
light weight on his back there certainl!
was nothing in it but Simpkin.
He knew that Zgzag on his pas
y 8 stone Z pounds in the handicap. per
y haps 10 stone.
. This was game after his own heart
: They could make coup with Simpkin
" and Zigzag would have less weight an
: other time.
u Besides, Zigzag would fetch prett.
good price in the lotteries, and it would
l. take lot of money to back him to viii
: fair amount. That would be to,
y risky if Simpki9 were as good as Har
> vey said.
you can buy your 'orse in hever.
. lottery" said the trainer, "hand vel
: take 'alf or three-quarters, just as yo1
like. He'll never be backed 'eavily, 70
nobody but the stable knows nou
: about i'm"
- Always when things Of this sort hap
- pen the recipient Of the favor credits
to fate. That's just what the captai
did "The gods are bound to thrus
N this purse in my pocket" he unused &
he travelled down the tree shaded roa
toward big white bungalow.
:, And fate laughed a little and went t
,s. sleep again. for he was not to act reall
j., till the day of the race.
:. Johnson knew that three officer
% were framing the handicaps that yer
morning in Mai Jim's bungalow.
70 He didn't quite know how he was SO
=, ing to get hand in the business, but
he could make any excuse to get !
~. among them something was prett
Sure to turn M
~ When he stepped up on the verand'
the rough dark green door of the bun
/. galow was closed. He gave knoc
Nv and showed it abruptly open and wall
- ed in, pretending to be mighty surpri
=, ed at finding anybody but his frient
&, Major Jim, there.
- lawfully sorry. gentlemen" he e,
~ claimed in his lazy, drawing wa
- 'Had no idea that was spelling spor
II, My dogcart didn't turn up at the rae
-, course, and l thought I'd come in al
ho have breakfast with the major. L
clear out though, and let you finish l