The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-06-24

with his unlighted pipe between his
lips and his eyes fixed on the floor.
In the morning Mr. Boykin did two
remarkable things. He entered Exotic
In the last race Of the day among
horses which would have been his
match. even were he at his best. and
among which. as he was, he must be q
hopeless quantity, and he walked over
back Of the course and gathered bas-
ketful Of walnut hulls. These he
mashed up in bucket and poured
some water over the mass. He heard
the sharp voice OF Mr.. Kerr bidding
Budd Darwin look after the horses
during his absence and he responded
TO the farewell which Mr.. Kerr shouted
into his stable door, then he watched
the departing gentleman contempla.
lively.
Heels are slippery and ard to
ketch," he soliloquized, still looking
after Mr.. Kerr, but there are them
that can ketch EN-"
Boykin had known Bud Darwin for
years and knew HIM to be a careful
and faithful trainer with one weak.
ness--whisky. Only his fear OF Mr..
Kerr kept him sober, and sobriety was
only maintained by rigidly avoiding
temptation.
About noon on the day of Mr.. Kerr's
departure Boykin entered Darwin's
stable and thus addressed him:
"Budd, a friend of mine as given me
some hold Kentucky Bourbon. and I'm
goin to give you a quart. But only
use 1t for medicine, Budd, promise
me that"
He placed the bottle on a table and
left, A half hour later he glanced in
the bottle was quarter empty, and
Darwin was talking to himself. Al
three o'clock the bottle was empty, and
Mr., Darwin was in lethargic slumber
from which a salute OF artillery would
not have aroused him.
Al this hour everybody had gone to
the other side of the course where the
horses finished, and the stables were
deserted, Watching his chance Boy
kin slipped Exotic out of the stable and
slipped him into Kerr's. BY the same
deft movement and entirely unob.
served he slipped Epaulet out of Kerrs
stable into his. sponge saturated
with the dscoction of walnut hulls OBJ
liberated the white splotch on Epaulets
shoulder Then he led him towards the
paddock, Mr.. Boykin noted with sat
isfaction that the sky was overcast
and as it was nearing half after four
the daylight was getting dim, Secur,
ing the services of Spider Jack" d.
minutive negro jockey, he babe him
stand by the horse until the call came
to weigh in, and then FASTENED to the
betting ring. The odds against Exotic
were not complimentary to that ami.
NAL, as the bookmakers deemed 1t an
eight to one chance that he would
not win, and three to one that he
would not be even second. Mr.. Boy.
kin's funds counted up $3.50, and he
placed 500 on Exotic" to win and $50
on him for a place. Hurrying back I,
the paddock he gave Spider" los
up on the horse and babe him take Il
easy for half mile, the race being fol
one mile, and then drive him the bal
ance of the way. The horses got away
with an even break, punched to the
half mile, and then Exotic" shot out
and came in an easy winner by a good
length.
For five minutes Mr.. Boykin watched
the judges stand uneasily, but rules
were not very strict at the course
and the stunning change in form o.
the part of Exotic" passed without ad
verse comment.
When darkness had fallen Epaulet
with the white splotch plain on his
shoulder, was in Kerr's stable. and Il
Mr.. Budd Darwin found any grounds tc
, suspect that trick had been played
while he was drunk he thought II bes
to be silent
Mr.. Boykin paid Mr.. Kerr withou
even kicking over the excessive inter
est charged paid all his debts, ant
hied himself with his horses to New
Orleans, bearing on his face the GLOW
of thoroughly honest man.
C0lICuT r0VEp Nv lMcTlMrT