The Irish standard., 1904-10-15

All hands around the track Clipped
in to give Bricky something better
than decent burial. at which the old
priest who had closed Bricky's eyes
otliciated. After they'd laid Bricky
away l rode back from the cemetery
with the priest, as benign and gentle
souled a silver haired man from the
old dart as you ever met.
"'What was this the poor lad was
saying to me about Il horse? the old
priest asked me on the drive in.
Il couldn't help but smile at the
question.
"'Well, guess Bricky had it about
right MS to the altar candles, father,' 1
said, and then l went ahead and told
him something about the kind of
horses Bricky had always been the
proprietor Of.
81 don't just remember the turtle
he had last said, but I'll find out
when reach the track and take a
look at him, and maybe I'll be abe
to sell him for you to some fellow
with a milk route
The priest thanked me for my in
terest and said he'd be obliged to me
if I'd take charge Of the horse until
it was decided If anything could be
done with the mutt. When I got to
the track l strolled over to the out
of the way barn where the harrow
mules and day laboring workhorses
of the track were quartered, to have
Il peek at the late Bricky's season adj
mission crab.
well, the horse kind O surprised
me. I'd seen the maAngs Of a lot
worse glue than that fellow go to the
races and get something.
He was 4-year-old maiden, but
one of those years couldn't be counted
against him, for he had belonged to
Bricky since the preceding autumn
and hadn't been raced in his 4-year-old
form. Hadn't been raced much as a
3-yearold, either, 1 remembered, be-
ing looked upon as no account.
Il dug up the dope on the horse,
tracing him back through all of his
races, and it wasn't such awful DOPE
There were always some horses be-
hind him, anyway. He was pretty
cleverly bred ut that.
Il found him there with the work
horses, gross and high and unkempt
and uncared for, but the poor devil Of
Il neglected cast-off thoroughbred had
some good lines about him and Il
breadth between the eyes that betol-
ened his possession Of a lot of pa
thence and strong sense. When
stepped into his box to get the feel
of him, he knew right off that l wasn't
Il harrow driver or stable mechanic
the kind of two-footed company he'd
been obliged to put uD with for so
long-but y handler Of blood runners
of the tribe to which he knew he be-
longed, and it kindso' got me lumpy
around the neck when he rested his
muzzlc against the top button Of my
vest and looked up at me with his big.
wistful patient lamps. Felt sorry for
the old weed-out, blamed if didn't
"'Anyhow, I'm going to give you a
little run for your taw agate, bo,' I
said to the old maiden, and then he
nodded his head up and down and
looked sort O. grateful and pleased.
Il led him by his halter over to my
own shed. That evening 1 took bit
Of Il walk over to the old priests cot
tage to tell him that the horse Bricky
had beuue,tlled to him wouldn't be
sold to fellow with milk route for
not, but | kind o ducked that by tell
ing him that l didn't know any milk
people, and then switched the subject.
II took a look out of the tail of my
eye at the old priests surroundings.
He was only just getting by, and
that's all, could see. Had Il little
church about the size of Il summer
Kitchen out there on the edge of St
Loo, and even that was mortga ged
along with the cottage he lived in.
"IIe was one of those good old men
of the cloth, that they're always send,
ing off somewhere to start something,
just as soon as he built up congre-
aytion an got it to prospecting. He
was the whole works, I found out
ran the church, taught the parochial
school. instructed the sodalities, ran
the Sunday school, buried the dead,
married the willing, cllristened the
new ones, and all on an income that
would not have kept some Jockeys
know in cigarettes for II week.
'"rhc next morning, with bling and
Il rattle. started to work on Bricky's
four-leggcd bequest Tackled him on
to nv string and labored with him.
",rhe fat fell away from him in no
time, and he was a hog for work. In
about three weeks he was in shape to
show me something OH the easy side.
He did it right willingly, ut that
passed me up a mile in ! 80 without
amy distress.
II gave him his daily speeding then
for another couple of weeks. and Mt
the end of that time he breezed me