Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-07

l0per6.
He was as supremely happy in his UNI
righteous work as any evil-minded boy
might be at the prospect Of unlimited mis-
chief.
"Ned'll ride Disbolo, sure-there's moth
ing else to IT," he muttered. 81 hope he
breaks his blasted neck. I'll pay 'em out
fer turnin' me OF like a dog" he con-
tinued savagely, the small ferret eyes
blazing with fury. "1ll learn the d-n-
Hellol His sharp ears had caught the
muffed sound Of hoofs thudding the turf
In a slow, measured walk. He peeped
between the shrunken boards.
Yes, it's Mike. And the girl, too-blast
herl She blamed me fer near bein' eaten
alive by that black devil OF a dope horse.
HI"
This ambiguous exclamation was ocea-
stoned by the sight OF his former master
springing into the saddle on Diablo's back.
That's the game, Ell? God strike me
deadi / hope you git enough Of him. My
arms ache yet from bein' near pulled out
Of the sockets by that leather mouthed
brute. Geel II the boss hasn't got squire on!
II he ever tickles the black wit them-say,
boys. there'll be a merry hi to pay, and
no pitch hoti"
The young Arab spoke to the boards as
NnNheh Ahtg nGA Bal 2 III us AuiQuAll.
Then he chuckled diabolically, as In fancy
he saw Porter being trampled by the horse.
THE girls on Lausanne" he muttered;
she's the best In the lot, II she did run
me down. A ridin' that old crook, too,
when she ought to be in the house washing
dishes. A woman amt got no more bust
ness about the stable than a mans got in
the kitchen. Pettcoats is the devil. l
never could abide EN-"
Shandy sometimes harked back to his
early English Whitechapel, for he had
come from the old country, and had brought
with him all the depravity he could ac-
quire in the first FIVE years Of his existence
there.
"Ned's got the soft snap in that blasted
bunch;'' as his eyes discovered Carter on
Lucretia. Hes slipped me this go, but
I've nabbed the boss, so l don't care. I'm
next them this trip" and as the three
horses and their riders came on to the
course he pulled out a silver split-second
stop-watch Lansdon had equipped him with
for his touting, and started and stopped It
several times.
You'll pay fer their feed, you d-n old
skinHint-' he was apostrophizing Porter
IAN I'll be next the best they can do. an
stan in on the rakeoff. GeeI / thought
they was out fer a %.trial," he muttered.
looking dlsconsolately at the three as they
cantered the part Of the journey. "1Il
ketch 'em at the nalT on the on chance
he added.
But though the timepiece in his hand
clicked impatiently, after he pressed the
stem with his thumb, as Diablo's black
nozzle showed past the half-mile post, the
three horses still cantered.
Lausanne was ioping leisurely with the
action of a wooden rocking-horse. Lucre-
tia, her long, in-tipped ears cooked eagerly
forward. was throwing her head impa-
tiently into the air, as though pleading for
Just one strong gallop. Diablo's neck was
arched like the half Of a cupid's bow, his
head. almost against his chest, hung heavy
in the reins tight~drawn In Porter's strong
hands. His eyes, showing full OF a sus-
picious wilderness, stood out from his lean.
bony head; they were possessed of a fret
full, impatient look. Froth fiicked back
from the nervous. quivering lips and spatted
against his black satin skinned chest, where
It hung like sea foam on holding sand.
"Whoa! Steady old boyi" Porter was
coaxing soothingly. STEADY. boy!"
THE ease up has put the very deuce into
this fellow he flung over his shoulder to
Allis, who sat at Diablo's quarter. He's
a hard-mouthed brute, II ever there was
one.''
He'll be all right, dad she called.
raising her voice, for the wind cut her
breath; "shandy rode him with a heavy
hand, that's why"
"Tl put a rubber bit--in his mouth-to
soften it," he pumped. brokenly. Let
out a rap-girl-and we'll breeze them
up the stretch; come on--Carter-get to
the front-with the mare"
AI AA--. ~ A-Nah n
horses raced into a swinging stride.
! Diablo was simply mad with a desire to
gallon, but In the saddle was his master;
no horse ever did as he wished with John
, Porter. Battling against the sharps, his
honesty might handicap him out Of the
strife, but in the saddle the citation Of
movement crept into his sinews and he
was superb-a king. AS a jockey, he
would have been unsurpassed. 1t filled his
heart with delight to play with the fierce,
impetuous animal he rode.
STEADY, my boy-no, you don't!" This
as Diablo stuck his neck straight out
! IKE an arrow and sought to hold the bit
tight against the bride teeth, that he
might race at his own sweet will. Back
came the right hand. then the left; three
vicious saws and the bit was loose and
Diablo's head drawn down again close to
the martingale; Lucretla ana AuSanne
were pulling to the front.
go ont" called Porter to Ned Carter.
II want TO see the little mare in her
stride. Take him out at the th~ree-quarter
gallop Town the back stretch. I'll be
treading your heels on"
BY this time they were opposite the old
stand. where hid shandy. The boy. sur
missing that a sallop was on and anxious to
see them as they rounded the turn going
down the back, had knocked a board loose
TO widen the crack. AS the horses came
abreast. shandy. leaning forward In his
eagerness. dislcdged It at the top and IL
fell with a ~clatter, carrying him half
through the opening. The wind was blow
ing fair aeross the little stand, so the
scent Of the boy came 20 Diablos nos
trils at the same instant the startling
noise reached his nervous ears, In a
swerve he almost stopped, every muscle
Of his big body trembling in fright.
Porter was nearly thrown from his seat
by his crouching side step. the horse
scanned TO shrink from under him. Just
for an instant. but the reins had tapped
loose against the, wet neck and Diablo felt
freedom.
With a snort he plunged forward like a
wounded buck and raced madly after
Lneretia. who had bolted when the crash
came.
Porter had lost a stirrup in the sudden