The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-30
CLIPPERS LET IN
> ON A KILLING
Canadian Hotel Keepsr Too Clever
for the Exiled Tout.

Quit. There wore no fireworks, because
Slippers was plainly In no mood for the
fatted calf. Disaster showed In the basgy
knees Of his trousers, and he was minus his
bulldog, Picket II.
Just back from the st. Maurice River.
he said shortly. 'Yes, I'm looking and
feeling better. It's . grand climate Tor
any one who gets to seeing black spots
instead OF sure things on the track sunny
afternoons. That was my trouble. It's
cured.
MY prescription landed me In Psrthe-
nais, In the lumber country Of the upper St.
Maurice, the third day after leaving the
Forty second streetcar barn. When had
fished the river for four days'snd hooked
three trout welohed.
so the only attraction on the card that
had not looked over was Thomas Hykes.
Tom ran the town tavern. Thomas was aho
Kings constable and branch curb broker
for the Government at Ottawa. In fact, he
wan the whole field In politics and social
importance In the territory for miles around.
and he realized the fact. So l nailed a
stool on the front stoop alongside Of Hykes
and snapped my latest "reminiscences OF
civilization for his takes OF the also ran
country.
I'VE were spouting one evening on the
above mentioned piazza. Hykes was talk
ing most. but keeping his good eye working
overtime in the direction Of the bar, whore
his French wife was tending gate. / was
playing with Picket. teaching that now
expatriated pup how to retrieve hand
kerchlef.
Suddenly the cockney swung feeler
that caught me unawares.
81 was thinkin',' he said, quietlike. as
'ow you wouldn't want to 60 'ome to the
States without takin' chanel on the Wya-
eamao Darby--hit bein' the honly hevent
in your line worth a fier in these parts.
and 1t 'appenin' next Tewsda' hafternoon.
Why. a horserace Is Just what came
up here to escape from replied,
'Hexactly! respect your feelin'. But
this Is 'urnan Darby-a foot race. with
honly two hentries-and the populace
backin' the wrong starter. Hits to he
Cartier, the Three Rivers champeen.
hagainst a Mic,nac 'alfbreed who I'm
sroomin' for the race. or course, I'd hey
pect a divvy. cause hit wouldn't be fair
to halow so much money to leave the
country without return. With few him
novations we can give the populashun
run for their money and still ave the dough
as rood as booked for us in the bank.
Il didn't think much Of Hykes's Indian,
especially as he looked as II he had been
spending the last few moons In Pell street
dope parlor. but Hykes said the trance
was put on for show, and that anyway
a dead Indian would have a better chance
in the race than the favorite. Besides, the
constable gave me program concerning
what might happen to Cartier in the stretch
for the tape.
This was the schedule: Cartier,
through run-in not long before with
a mad wolfhound, had terror OF dogs.
Picket, my bull pup; had q feverish eager
ness to get next to a colored rag. These
two facts were to bankrupt every sport
loving parleyvoo within radius Of miles.
Cartier, az the French champion. would
wear tapping tricolor around his waist
in the race. The halfbreed. Indian FASH
ion. would wear only dirty breechclout.
Near the finish Picket, previously schooled
in the part, would light out for Cartier and
the flag, and In the resulting scrimmage
the Indian would lope in for the purse.
Sounds fshy? Well, 1t didn't the way
Hykes expounded the lesson.
.The days crawled along until Tuesday
came, clear and warm. I've seen q few
more people at an event like a handicap or
the Dewey parade, but the mob wasn't bad.
The noise was stupendous. Imagine the
Battle OF Waterloo turned into a Kansas
jack rabbit hunt and you will get hunch
on the celebration Of Wyagamac Day. And
every man was unraveling his six months
savings. tied up in a knot In the tail Of his
shirt, so that when l got up at the finish line
to make the book 1t was almost embar-
RAISING to look my constituents In the face.
But the anxiety to plank spot cash upon q
sure thing like Cartier was 30 universal,
locally speaking. that l had no time to
spare from business. Hykes's breadbox-
did mention that the Kings constable was
treasurer OF the racemeet?-flled like q
Gravesend ballot box in the good old days
of Kane Hykes had my roll, sos to play
square with the people, he explained.
I'VE were at the finish and saw nothing
Of the start, the race being straightaway,
with the starter mile down the river turn
pike. 1t was pitiful to sit and look out
upon the mob OF gesti,ulating lunatios before
us. They were all cocksure Of the triumph
Of Cartier and the tricolor and not at all
backward In evinoing their gratitude to
Providence for the Yankee sport. was
the patron saint OF the neighborhood for
about ten minutes. After that was con-
sidered hasbeen.
For the racers were in sight down the
road, with the Micmac far In the lead. This
was an unlocked for phenomenon, which
astouneied the spectators who made Rome
howl with disappointment. 1t surprised
me. because didn't think the Indian had II
in him to distance q mud turtle, let alone a
| man on legs. Az for Hykes, he gazed
blankly down the turnpike.
"'Cartier must have turned a hoof.'
remarked giving the constable sly poke in
the ribs to emphasize the joke. It's race
between three-year-old and depot hack,
The Micmao won't need Picket for runner.
In. I'm glad Of that, because your fas
| trick was nothing but shell game
.Hykes threw me a scowl Els got &
ways to the finish he muttered exoitedly
| hand the bloomin' race isn't Railways to
| the swift. Gawd knows--'
"Just then the crowd gasped. Between
| the two runners was a stretch Of over bO(