The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-20
ONE TENDERFOOT'S
EXPERIENCE
Continued from Page 81

mistaken; she may have been cook at
the Henderson House.
In the meantime, they got away, the
blaze-face trailing, her long legs dang
ling nonchalantiy, the chestnut lead
ing magnificently, the play of his SUI
perb muscles suggesting a wen-oiled
machine The black-tail bay was run
ming a good second. 1t was a race of
/ thoroughbreds and did not interest the
tenderfoot at all. He had not come out
of the East to see thoroughbreds run
and there was no new thrill in it. He
turned to watch the woman astrioe
inst in time TO see her dash out of the
little crowd that surrounded her, rise
in her stirrupS and gaze under her
Ieyeled hand at the fleeing trio. 1t was
grand and he forgot that a race was
on: but as she continued her steady
gaze he turned TO look for the reason.
Tha chestnut had found the work too
fast for him; his magnificent stride was
all Their, vas 20 him. The. bay was
pushing him muzzle for muzzle and the
big ze-face still trailing! This way ,hey
made the first circuit. And then, there
was nothing spectacular about it, tie
long legs just unraveled little by little,
the white face crept up along the bays
flank, along his side, past his shoulder
and they ran like a four of cavalry for
awhile, the riders of the chestnut and
the bay making their whips sing, the
sofreI running easily. This continued
till they swung into the home stretch;
then there was a yellow and white
awakening and the race was over. The
tenderfoot was disguised, it was the
DID, old game without a redeeming fea-
ture of the picturesque. He tried to
find the man who had given him the
tip. 1t would have done him no good
if he had known it was straight-he
never bet anything more valuable than
his opinion, but it seemed to have an
originality about it that he liked.
Then he turned to see what was left.
Everywhere was dust, insistent, gray,
impartial dust. The superb woman on
horseback lifted her bay into an easy
canter and rode to talk with a pat
riarch in a patriarchal carriage, sit
ting her horse as another woman her
rocking chair. Over by the judges
stand tall country looking fellow was
f1ourishing ten-dollar bills and trying
to get a bet on the next race. To him
went the tenderfoot; he hoped that n.
might be really drunk, not feigning-.
d1iCI LIE tip llC lSll lIdl II i1IlSnl ISd1Ay
be so. Eventually he concluded that
this, too, was stereotyped. He began
to wish his train would come.
And then he saw something. An In
dian, a young Indian with the unmis-
taxable, eagle beak of the Sioux, with
long hair floating in the wind, riding
bare backed on a sway-back pony of
the true buckskin, and with evident in
tention of entering the next race.
What is % he inquired of a cattle
man near by with a fine disregard for
deiniteness. But the man understood
What? Oh! Next race! County
against reservat ton! Any good! Nawh,
not much; Indians amt no Jockeys.
There's that buckskin kin run like the
devil, but they'll crowd him out one
way or nuther."
The tenderfoot turned just in time to
catch a CLEAN in a pair of the wicked
est eyes it had been his pleasure to
see; it gave him the thrill he had been
looking for. There was a CLINT in them
not unlike, in color, TO the green band
that circled the forehead above them
and held Sack the thick black, horse
tail hair
You want to bet?'' queried the own
er of the eyes looking away toward
where he had left his horse in the
hands of another Indian. Bet ten dol
lars the buckskin WINS
who's in it?'' he started to inquire.
but the cattle man was ahead of him
and he found himself an involuntary
stakeholder. After this important
function was attended to, the Indian
turned to the tenderfoot with a sweep
ing gesture toward a group gathered
near the judges stand. Them" was
his sole comment as he passed on to
join them.
The scoring was interesting and con-
fusing. Not to mention the dust. which
made observation difficult, it is no
easy matter to start II excitable ponies
and as many more or less nervous rid
ers and have the advantage in just the
right place without palpable unfair
ness. The tenderfoot picked out the
winner at once. This was a little
brown mare, called by courtesy a pony.
but with all the earmarks of an under
sized thoroughbred. She was ridden bv
a boy, evidently an old hand. in scarlet
cap and regular jockey costume. The
black victor over the sorreI colt was
MS next choice. His rider wore d green
cap but no other jockey clothing. These
scored like veterans; none of the others
did. Most of the riders rode saddles.
but one of the white boys rode bare
backed IS did both Indians. Several
We're barefooted and nearly all bare
headed. THE buckskin seemed level
headed and a likely third.
At last they were away. The race
was a half mile and one circuit would
finish. The track would not accom-
modate so many and two were crowded
OF almost at the outset and gave it UP.
Two others began to trail hopelessIy.