Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-02-10
RUNNING Of A
MUDLA RK
ny Ctfrrdn
Richard Greenfey


| Joe led Bareshanks out for his exer-
else. The shabby blanket Tapped
around the gaunt legs. and the bald Ro-
man nose was stretched to its far
| thest as Bareshanks shifted at the wet
| morning. Out in the east rim of sick
| ly yellow barred the sky. Jim scram-
bled up, and they went slowly out on
the track to the accompaniment of
"Hayrackr' "Ki-yi Get on to de
moonshine tru his ribsr' Three legged
| skate!" and a chorus of groans.
Jim's thin little arms went around
| the bony neck, while tear trickled
white line down the CRIME on his
| cheek. The keen wind cut through the
lads jacket, and the little hands that
| gripped the bride were blue with cold
Underneath the track was already
| sticky. AS Jim turned into the field.
| where later the little red flag would
mark the course from one ugly ditch to
! another, Bareshanks laid down to his
work. The slippery turf slid away
| from under his great hoofs In a green
| glimmer as they rose from hurdle to
| hurdle.
Over and over the course went Bare
| shanks and Jim. while at the stables.
| in the doorway of Mayer Bros quar-
| tiers, man stood peering through field
| glasses at the brown blur that swept
| around the field.
| Jim slipped to the ground the sweat
pouring from horse and boy alike. Joe,
/ his GsIll-y 40 l. ~
his cap, gave him a sly glance as he
| blanketed the horse and led him in
| side. Jim turned with a question in
his eyes TO the man who stood pulling
! his gray mustache and looking away
| into space. Jim twitched his sleeve,
| and he looked down into the small,
| pinched face, its very eagerness rem
dering ii thinner and more pathetic.
and answered the unspoken query.
| Eyes; he'll do. In for penny, in for
a pound; but If he fails I'll see that
you get back to the old farm. all right"
And him Jim pointed to where
the bony nose showed through the open
door.
The man laughed shortly. "a bullet
through his ugly head" The boy shrank
back and slipped through the door. I'm
| perceived he curled down in the straw
almost at the feet of Bareshanks. who
munched contentcdly at his provender
Other eyes had watched that morning
gallop. Joe, the groom, had finished
the rubbing down when. with an eye
on the silent figure outside the door, he
snatched from its nail the bride that
| Bareshanks must wear in the coming
| race, drew a bottle of colorlesS liquid
| from his pocket and poured few drops
over the bit. Bright eyes watched
| from the shadow of the feed box, and
when Joe, his work done, disappeared
Jim jerked the bride down and smell
ed it. There was not the slightest
! scent. He hung the bride back again
and resumed his place between the
horses legs. look of owlish gravity
on the queer, puckered, old young face
The hours wore on. Over on the
track, where a drilling rain fell stead
lily men went up and down in mackin
toshes. Women in short skirts gathered
in knots upon the grand stand, their
eyes fever bright with excitement. The
crowd grew steadily. Out there, where
the little red flags, like points of flame
marked the zigzag of the hurdles, the
old wagon drawn by the gray work
horse stood loaded with the net and a
scurry of boys blew hither and thither
in the wake of the different owners.
There had been wild work when Joe
essayed to lead Bareshanks out An
old rope halter hung where the bride
should have been. Joe turned ashy
Jim stuck like bur to Bareshanks
and trailed at his heels in his patched
and stained jacket. mere apology for
owners colors. Neither horse. owner
nor Jockey was a favorite on the
| Downs. True to the primeval instinct,
the rout was hostile to the shabby en-
| tourage. Nevertheless there was no
open affront. Landon evidently pos
sessed some kind of a pull with Mayer
Bros: hence his occupancy of one OF
their stalls and the grudging attend
ance of Joe.
Jim was ready to mount Bareshanks
when the bell tapped, but as he passeG
the grand stand still clinging to the
old rope halter, the crowd yelled and
rose as a man.
Off with the saddle and the Weighing
done. they were mounted again and
filed before the grand stand, Bare
shanks' ugly head reared above his
fellows. Then as they would have pass
ed into the field voice from the
tudges' stand halted them: What's
the matter with that boy on No. 8?
That's no bride. Where'd he get that
halterT
All eyes turned on Jim, who wheeled
Bareshanks and rode TO the front of
the judges stand. while up in the front
row a man shook his fist at him and
cursed savagely. The small figure
Strengthened in the saddle and. with
an appealing glance at the wall of
faces. pulled a bride, bit and all, from
the breast of his jacket. An intense
| silence fell as the childish treble rang