The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-03-27
IRISH CHARACTER SKETCHES.


him. Nv 1 am at the races watch
him whin he ladies' the horse out on the
course. Whin he lets the horse go,
he'll surely win iv yeh see him walk
away an talk to this wan an that wan,
bud iv he holds his head down an says
not a word to his gratest frind. then
his mind is parplexed an doubtin', an
nine times out ov tin he'll lose"
Jim Scully's "own personal observa-
shun" of Tom Nolan was right. 1t was
just precisely how Tom acted on such
occasions. 1 have, as a boy, seen Tom
ride many races and squeeze home by
a head or neck, but the most brilliant
race l have ever seen him ride was at
F. He was riding in the chief event
of the day for a local farmer. or rather
a grazier, and the horse was an out
slider. Being but a boy then, and not
being lowered with much of the world
goods (by the same token, believe,
I'm as rich now had to join the COM
monality, and the commonality can't
afford a ticket for the stand, so I and
many more from my native village as
sembled at the biggest jump on the
course. the third last. Jim Scully, Bar
tholomew Finnegan, Phil Mcguire, Bry-
an Casey and many more dear faces
were around me, and everyone of our
eyes were focused in the black and
white cross belts (the colors which Tom
rode in on that day.. The horses in a
cluster approach where we are stand
ing, and Tom Nolan is fifth of the
bunch and on the outside.
He'll win yit," and Phil Mcguire
seizes Scully by the arm and looks up
into his face, as if the fate of the race
depended on Scully.
tom Nolan, come on, come on; re-
member the village of W, and come
on wud yeh," and poor Scully works
his two arms frantically.
st. James on Little Annie leads and
the grim smile on his face tells he will
die hard. Harry Beasley. Bob Egg
shaw, Willie Cullen on Purdesburn,
Zulu and Charity, come next. and then
comes Tom Nolan on Sweet Briar,
Shouts arise from the stand, Little
Annie wins" Sweet Briar is beaten"
Sweet Briar is beaten" Dierces poor
Phil Maguire's heart. He seizes Scully
by the arm, at the same time giving
vent to those piteous words, "Oh, Tom
Nolan, why don't yeh come on for The
honor ov the village of w
The horses thunder over the next
jump to where we are standing, knock
ing our furs and brambles from the top
of the fence, and a loud hurrah from
Scully tells us something has happened.
Yes, something had happened Tom
Nolan had given his mount the whip,
just two sharp reminders, and he now
rides side by side with st. James. On
they come to our fence, and a winning
sheet would cover them. Sweet Briar
leads, with the others abreast Scully
sounds his war cry, we take it up and
the war cry is Nolan. we depend upon
you" I suppose you have heard strange
curses in your time, and. dear reader.
you don't like cursing: well. you won't
object to this one uttered by Scully:
BE the morthial gobr'
If it is in any way Objectionable the
occasion excused it, for Sweet Briar
pecks badly and came down on her
knees. Tom Nolan, a master of his
profession, RECEIVERS her. but he has
lost q, good ten lengths. Two fences
more and the winning post is reached,
but Tom will never recover lost ground.
Sick at heart, Phil Mcguire heaves
sigh and, taking off his tall hat, looks
into the bottom of it for consolation.
while Jim Scully beats his legs franti-
cally with an ash plant, Furnishing
Sweet Briar as it were, for disappoint-
ing the hopes of our dear village A
quiet voice near me rouses me up from
my despond by saying: Nolan, who
ever he is, is finished horseman; he'll
win yet" / look. and the horses are
approaching the last jump Little An
ME lands first, with Charity, Pundes-
burn. Zulu II. abreast, and Sweet Briar
but two lengths behind. Half way I'D
the straight Charity collars Little An
ME, and both are instantly collared by
Sweet BTiar. ST. James and Beas ley's
whip go up. but Tom Nolan sits still.
Ten yards from the winning post the
three horses are locked together. the
winning post is passed. and the Judges
verdict is: Sweet Briar first. Charity
and Little Annie dead heat for second
place. We hear the glad news, the glad
shout Of victory, the dear old village of
W has won, and Jim Scully, the
Jim Scully, sits down on
the green sward and. hopping his brow
with his hand. says: Another race
like that wud kill me. Phil Mcguire, an
to judge be Yer Complexshun. yeh want
a drop Ov Jamison."
Many an evening afterWard have each
of us rode that race. Tom Nolan list
ened to us with a glad, warm smile on
his Irish face, and when we had said
our say as to how we should have rid
den it. his reply always was
That race was won owing TO a cool
head"
I see him this August afternoon. He
is heading his favorite old horse Dash
ing Jim by the bride. and on Dashing
Jim's back is a young Tom Nolan. As
1 gaze upon them this wish rises up in
my heart. and gives expression to these
words: May the son be as good a man
as the father. BY Cabin.
Next week: Innocent Matty."