The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-08-22
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AUGUST -, 1901.
THE HOODOO FROG
by II. 1. Cleveland.

This Is the story told by the horse
man. Evidently he was not very
soueamiSh as to his means of winning
a race:
1T was in 1891 when | was doing a
little horse racing that | came TO the
Scdalia (Mo) track with mare that
believed could beat anything in mile
that was then doing the tracks of the
smaller cities. l was SO confident that
after had entered my mare for a inile
event | wagered all | possessed upon
her success. That meant II dead loss
Of $4,000 to me If she was defeated. l
laid awake one night figuring where |
would be If did lose and came 10 the
conclusion that under all circumstances
l must win. The next day, 10 my IN
tense disgust, learned that, independ-
ont Of ali other competitors, another
mare had been entered Il think she was
from Grand IslanD that had never been
beaten. When made inquiries about
her. my friends frankly said 10 me:
You have a good mare, joe but you
can't beat this one. You'd better drop
out or play your money the other way
You're not in IT,
We'll sir. worried night aud day
over the situation. The race was TO be
run Oh Saturday afternoon. There
were six or seven entries, and the Sc
dalia people were putting every dollar
on the strange mare. Her owner was
lean aud lank Grand Island man
who had little to say. but who covered
every bet offered him. | tried 10 draw
him out, but he would only grin nj me,
and was left to suffer.
Il don't say" continued the old gen
tleman. that II had been as old then
as l am now that | would have done
then what l did do. but | was desper-
ate. and my mare was a good animal.
as true a bit Of horsehesh as ever was
for her class. The day before the race,
when l had practically given up all
hope of winning, Colored boy who
BACKED my shoes every morning said
10 me.
I'D like TO speak to you. mistah.
Il told him all right, and little later
he met me In my room. After some
shutting Of his feet he said:
" De folks was tellin me you was
powerful nervous over dat mare you
have an DAT if you'd lose you'd be goin
home empty II you wants to win, |
kin give you q tip what may save de
hash for YOU What's you sayY
Il looked him square in the eye TO
see If he was trying to job me, but he
was toting square, and | knew it. So
l told him that If could win that race
he might name his price when it was
over. Ii was a rash offer. but | was
in trouble. lie looked around the room.
tiptoed to the door and then came to
my side. What he whispered was
mighty funny can tell you. The sum
and substance Of it was this:
Negroes are more or less supersti-
tious. Some of them are seriously af-
fected with whims \ negro boy Of
Sedalla was to ride the strange mare.
He was terribly afraid Of seeing or
having about him a dead frog. He
thought all good fortune went away
from him II he came across one. My
boy proposed that dead frog be secur-
ed. dropped in his pocket and then his
attention be accidentally attracted to
1t just before he rugged himself for the
To- 5ufI fhfprr would
queer him so he never would be able
70 handle the strange mare and would
certainly cause her to lose the race.
Boy said l, here's S2J for you now
If that frog gets into that boys pocket
at the right time
THE boy would not touch the money,
but said | could settle with him when
the race was over The day for the
event came. My mare was as fine as
silk. and the Grand Island mans look
ed like a queen. was about the sta
bles a good deal and happened TO be on
hand when about an hour before the
race was called the jockey ! was after
found a dead frog In his coat pocket
He threw 1t from him with an awful
expression of disgust ! thought he
would turn white. he was so scared.
He began to chatter and humble and
acted like an insane nan. Fortunately
for the plot, the Grand Island man did
not know what had happened but ev-
cry stable boy did and was affected by
It.
1T was as plain as daylight when the
animals got on the track that the rider
of the Nebraska mare was out of form.
l could hear the owner curse and could
see the worried expression on the faces
Of his friends, but 1t was too late to
change jockeys, and the horses were
given the word. In the very first quar-
ter it was evident that the only two
horses in the race were mine and the
Nebraskan. They were neck and neck
in the half, but my jockey was doing
the better work. In the three-quarters
the Nebraska mare shied-nOt only
SHE'D, but was pulled overland when
she got her gait again my mare was
sure winner. She came in easy. That
night my little bootblack demanded for
his reward that make him one Of my
stable boys, and did, and l have him
yet
But said TO him, why did that
Nebraska mare shy where she did?
'He grinned as he answered:
Dat hOodoO frog was a-waitin for
him dar-waitin hard "-ChicagO Rec
Ord-Herald.
A PrOsRic Wife.