St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-08-27

your part in it. l wonder how you car
even at this remote date laugh at it."
For had vivid recollection of how
after "chaste and highly artistic per
Torrance of this medieval play" hat
been given before distinguished To
ronto audience, the trapdoor by which
1 had entered my box was fastened and
was left to swelter in my cage and
forced to listen to the suffocated laugh.
ter from the wings and the stage whis.
pers of "Hello, Mr.. Punch, where's the
baby" And for many a day after !
was subjected to anxious inquiries as
to the locality and health of "the baby
and whether it was able to be out.
ooh, the dear old daysY' he kept say
ing over and over in tone so full of
sadness that my heart grew sore for
him and I forgave him, as many time
before.
The sports passed off in typical west
ern style. In addition to the usual
running and leaping contests, there
was rife and pistol shooting, in both
of which old Nelson stood first with
Shaw, foreman Of the mines, second.
The great event Of the day, however,
was to be the four horse race, for
which three teams were entered-one
from the mines, driven by Nixon,
Craig's friend; a citizens team and
Sandy's. The race was really between
the miners team and that from the
woods, for the citizens team, though
made up of speedy horses, had not
been driven much together and knew
neither their driver nor one another.
In the miners team were four bays,
very powerful, tri1e heavy perhaps,
but we'll matched, perfectly trained and
perfectly handled bytheir driver. Sandy
had his long, rangy roans and for lead
ers pair of half broken pinto bron-
chos. The pintos, caught the summer
before upon the Alberta prairies, were
feet as deer, but wicked and uncertain.
They were Baptiste's special care and
pride. If they would only run straight,
there was little doubt that they would
carry the roans and themselves to glo-
ry, but one could not tell the moment
they might bolt or kick things to
pieces.
Being the only nonpartisan in the
crowd, l was asked to referee. The
race was about half a mile and return,
the first and last quarters being upon
ice. The course after leaving the ice
led up from the river by long, easy
slope to the level above and at the
farther end curved somewhat sharply
round the old fort. The only condi-
ton attaching to the race was that the
teams should start from the scratch,
make the turn Of the fort and finish at
the scratch. There were no vexing
regulations as to fouls. The man max
ing the foul would find it necessary
to reckon with the crowd, which was
considered sufficient guarantee for
fair and square race. Owing to the
hazards Of the course, the result would
depend upon the skill of the drivers
quite as much as upon the speed Of
the teams. The points of hazard were
at the turn round the old fort and at
little ravine which led down to the
river, over which the road passed by
means Of long log bridge or cause
way.
From a point upon the high bank Of
the river the whole course lay in open
view. 1t was a scene full of life and
wildly picturesque. There were min
ers in dark clothes and peak caps, citi-
zens in ordinary garb, ranchmen in
wide cowboy hats and buckskin shirts
and leggings, some with cartridge belts
and pistols; few half breeds and In
dams in half native, half civilized
dress and, scattering through the
crowd, the lumbermen with gay scarlet
and blue blanket coats and some with
knitted toques of the same colors. A
very good natured but extremely I'M
certain crowd it was. At the head of
each horse stood a man, but at the
pintos' heads Baptiste stood alone, try.
ing to hold down the off leader thrown
into a frenzy of fear by the yelling Of
the crowd.
Gradually all became quiet till, in the
midst of absolute stiffness, came the
words, "Are you ready?" then the pts.
tol shot, and the great race began.
Above the roar Of the crowd came the
shrill cry of Baptiste as he struck his
oroncho with the palm of his hand and
swung himself into the sleigh beside
Sandy as it shot past.
Like a flash the bronchos sprang to
the front two lengths before the other
teams but, terrified by the yelling
crowd, instead of bending to the left
! bang, up which the road wound, they
wheeled to the right and were almost
across the river before Sandy could
swing them back into the course.
Baptiste's cries, curious mixture of
French and English, continued to
strike through all other sounds till they
gained the top Of the slope, to find the
others almost hundred yards in front,
the citizens team leading, with the
miners following close. The moment
the pintos caught sight of the teams
before them they set off at a terrific
pace and steadily devoured the inter-
vening space. Nearer and nearer the
turn came, the eight horses in front
running straight and well within their
speed. After them flew the pintos, run
ming savagely, with ears set back. lead