Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-11-08
AT THE FUTURITY.

months ago, and they are living with him
In his fine house at Sheepshead. The fight
er stayed with the old man on the grand
stand for awhile, but when the betting was
about due for the first race he went below
and disappeared in the crush, and he didn't
return until the last race was being run
OH. 1t was, l suppose, about as much
as his life was worth to get back, the crowd
was so enormous.
"The father of the prize fighter studied
the proceedings on the track with great ap.
parent interest," and each time the horses
rounded into the stretch he hoped up from
his seat and watched them earnestly, al
though he didn't give vent to any remarks,
When the third race was being run off and
the grandstand messengers began to make
their tours with the opening betting on the
big Futurity the old man looked around
searchingly as if for the return of his
scrapping son, but the pug didn't show up,
Then the old man began to lend ear to the
conversations between the grandstand mes
sengers and their clents-most of whom
were betting upon the Whitney horses to
win the big event. When one of the mes
sengers passed by the old man dug into his
tiousNlo poNhSb anu HuiiNd out u NNA NSAA"A
bill.
com bet this on Madden, said he, with
a rich brogue, handing the commissioner
the note.
Forty to ten Madden, said the commits
sioner, taking the bill and making note in
his little book. You'll remember that John
Madden the astute owner of the winner OF
the race, Yankee, had another candidate,
Gunhre, in the race, and the pair were, OF
course, coupled in the betting as the Mad
den entry.
"'What koind av plug is this Madden
inquired the old man of the busy commits
sioner. Me son do say that he ought t win
in walk
"'Oh, Madden's all right replied the
grandstand messenger, amusedly, and then
he went on about his business.
'From the moment that he put his bet
down the old man from the Emerald isle
was on the ragged edge of interest and
nervousness. He could hardly keep his
seat, but stood up and gazed up and down
the track with devouring eyes. When the
field of beautiful young horses paraded to
the post he seemed to be in veritable
fever OF anticipation. There goes Nastur'
tium,' or that's King Hanover or there's
Flywheel} the crowd on the stand were all
saying as the horses passed by the stand in
parade, and when the parade was finished
and the field had started on the jogging
canter to the post the old man looked
greatly mystified.
"'Shure,' he muttered to himself SC
that those around him heard him, 'Oi hear
thin a-talkin' av all tn other bastes, but
not a word about this horse Madden
'Those in the stand who overheard the
remark exhibited their amusement by grin
ming, but they were too busy watching the
field careering toward the post through
their glasses to say anything to the old man.
Shortly before the horses lined up at the
post, chunky, swarthy, black-mustached
man, plainly dressed, climbed onto the top
OF the stand and leveled his big pair Of
field glasses at the distant post where the
racing brutes were capering before the bar
rer., He was John Madden, the brainest
and foxiest turfman in America, whose
horse Yankee swept first under the wire
few moments later on. He was as cool as
a tuberose during all of the preliminary
breaks, and his demeanor was in funny
contrast to that of the father Oh the prize
fighter, who iidgetted about, now sitting
down, only to hop up half a second later
and in general plainly laboring under tire
mendous anticipatory excitement.
when the great cry They're off went
up the old man appeared to be struck into
stone image. He clutched the top of hi,
chair and watched the plunging field ca
reering through the cloud of dust away
at the upper end of the track with eyei
that seemed to be starting out OF his head
John Madden kept his glasses leveled OF
the field without the tremor of muscle
although the result Of the race involved
something like 100000 in purse and bet
for him. Lux Casta gets IL ALI howle(
the mob on the stand as the field sweep
from the bend into the stretch. Barron
cops the wad' yelled others. Look at ID,
Reszke coming like whippetn bawled thu
others, and then the elder man gazet
about him with puzzled CONSERVATION OF
his features. Yes; but there comes Yam
keel was the final shout, in the last 81,
teenth, when the great Madden colt, will
a superb burst, spurted into the leads A
this point, although the horses were still
good distance from the wire, the coo
Madden dropped his glasses from his eye
and dropped them into their case, CLOSING
the case with click There was COLI
smile on his features and chill fires burne,
in his eyes. He knew that his horse wa
going to be the winner.
"'Yankeel fairly screamed the crowd o
1000 men and women as the beautiful
| oolN IA obo ,,pInr bn
than length to the good. Lux Casta get
the place. was the next cry that went up
as the outside chance horse got under tn,
tape. And the long shot, Barron, cop
show money! yelled Others as the thir,
horse staggered home under punishment.
: '~The old man was looking almost pa
thetically into the faces OF the men aroun,
him.
| "'Who wins tn race, me bhoy" he in
quired, hoarsely, plucking the sleeve of
young man next to him.
Yankee first, Lux Casta second, Bar
ron third, replied the young man hastily
making dive for the ring.
"The old man pulled out big bandann
handkerchief, tottered into his chair am
, mopped his brow gloomly.
An it's divil tn wor-r-rd have
heard this day about this Madden bast
that my son told me about he muttered.
, John Madden, the owner of the y'innin
horse, heard the remark just as he was pre-
) pairing to go below, and he laid hand O.
the old mans shoulder.
" You played Madden, did your said h
in a kindly way. We'll, you cash. | win
, I'm Madden
' " Oh, yeez are, are yeez? said the fgb
er's old dad, still hopping his brown
thought that Madden was making game G
him. Well, thin, it's back t ye're stall f
) yeez, Madden, an don't yeez be a-thryin'
be funny wild human bein's,' and then tn
laugh went up on the famous horse owner
e a laugh in which he heartily joined H
explained the business to the scrapper
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