Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-06
BY Alfred stoddart

II have secured your rider for you, Miss Hal
! iday, she cried triumphanty. Mr.. Satterlee
says he will be delighted to ride Rocket. Won't
you, Mr. Satterlee?"
Ride Rocket Great Heavcnsl" CALCULATED
Satterlee mentally. Ride Rocket, the brute
that had nearly done with him once, horse
known and feared ae a terror even among the
hard riders of the Meadowthorpe set! Was
the woman mad?
But he pulled himself together with a mighty
effort. He saw that Beatrice was looking at
him with eyes full Of illdisguised mirth; then
he thought Of Grsce's glove, which he wore over
his heart, and he knew IL was his only chance
to win the heiress. So he set his teeth and
braeed himself to murmur with an easy non
chalance:
"Of course. Delighted, I'm sure"
Then he fumbled for his monocle, pet affec-
tation of his, screwed it in his eye and treated
Miss Halliday to look Of deliberate defiance,
which almost disconnected her. She could af-
ford to yield him point, however. The
plot was progressing merrily.
IT is awfully good Of you" Beatrice mur-
INJURED. Now 1 am sure Of the blue ribbon"
Presently the rumor commenced to spread that
Satterlee was going to ride Rocket in the hun
ter class. People began coming up to the Brad
bury drag by twos and threes to congratulate
him on his nerve; some Of them to pretend to
dissuade him from his purpose.
But Satteree was not TO be daunted He
knew as well anyone that he was the victim
of general mirth, but fortunately Grace, a com
parative stranger to Meadowthorpe, knew moth
ing about horses in general or Rocket in par
ticular. Hearing of the atter's reputation from
every side, however, she now became alarmed
on Satterlee's account and begged him not to
ride such an ill-tempered brute.
Satterlee only laughed and gently reassured
her. If it were intended that any horse should
kill him, he would have been dead years ago,
he told her. Besides, did he not wear her glove
over his heart? How could any harm befall
him?
To the others who came up Satterlee vouch-
safed few replies. but contented himself by star
ing at them defiantly through his monocle As
the report spread and the time for the hunter
class drew near he became the object of even
more general interest. He saw himself being
pointed out from a distance, and little groups Of
people entire strangers to him, congreeated in
front of the drag to gaze at him and point him
out to each other. Really, he was quite the
hero Of the hour, and he began to enjoy the sen
sation.
But his enjoyment received sudden shock
when he beheld the attendants dragging num-
ber Of formidable-looking hurdles into the ring.
There was a stiff post-andrall fence, an ugly
in-and-out, and a hedge.
The time had come when he must do or die,
and he almost wished that he might choose the
latter alternative. Only he wanted to die COM
fortably in bed, not to have his brains kicked
out by diabolical brute on the tan-bark of the
ring. Hastily he reviewed the only expedent
which came to his agitated mind. He might
feign sudden illness. But no. That would never
do. Everybody in Meadowthorpe would know
why, and undoubtedly Grace would hear too.
Besides, Harding was hanging around, and Sat
terlee had just gotten the iron hot. He must
strike before it cooled.
Il was now or never. Sink or swim, come
what might, the die was cast, so he bade Miss
Rawlings a touching adieu and went to mount
Rocket
"Farewell, my knight" she whispered to him
softly as he left her "Good-luck to you," and
she waved her dainty handkerchief to him as he
strobe away
Beatrice Halliday was standing by Rockets
head. groom assisted Satterlee to mount.
"You don't know how much I appreciate
this" she said to the latter sweetly.
ooh, yes, do,'' he returned from between his
teeth. 'I know just exactly how much you ap-
preciate it, and some day I viii return the
favor"
With which sinister threat he set off for the
entrance to the ring, the groom holding Rocket
tightly by the head.