Evening star., 1923-06-24

Off in the darkness a horse stamped
= restlessly, then another, and third.
A shrili equine scream of terror rang
out like a bugle. Bang. Bang!-two
srpistol shots.
The Information Kid and Henry the
Rat propped themselves on their ell
bows. A dull red glare was eating
: it's way into the darkness that lay
beyond the open half-door of the
stall. Electric gongs sounded in pad
dock, grandstand and a score of
stables. The light grew brighter. and
g. watchman flashed past, shouting as
he ran:
Get 'em out. boys! Get 'em out!
THE whole things going"'
The two hustlers bolted from the
tackle room. A pillar of flame burst
through the roof of the Waterford
stables and bent under the wind,
toward the Sterling barns. Trainers,
swipes and jockeys tumbled over one
another In a desperate rush TO turn
loose their charges.
Take this side, Henry" yelled the
Kid, I'll take the other. Tie up one
foot IL they won't lead"
In the crimson -splashed darkness.
men and bays struggled with blind
folded horses. tugging them toward
the grass iufield. where they were
turned loose, to stand trembling or to
run wild as terror prompted. Train
ers, armed with brooms. stood at the
gates. beating back the horses that
tried to return to the inferno. Swear
ing through smoke-flled lungs, they
held to the blistering task
paliaf ro mo in, half an hour m the
wings of the north wind. Gradually.
the red flare subsidized but until dawn
came the great circle inside the mile
track was a prison yard where kings
and queens of the turf with sacks
over their heads galloped amuck. and
no reckoning of loss could be made.
1~HEN, in the morning. the work of
/. l. checking up began. The first
train brought its cargo of anxious
Z owners across the border, and
: through the day others trickled in
from their Sunday lay-off. Late in
the afternoon there stumbled through
= the south gate a little shriveled old
man in faded clothes. He was Jim
Dunlap. known to the world of the
paddock as "old Jimmy Whiskers."
He spotted the Information Kid
sleepily munching a sandwich out
side the track restaurant. The old
mans lips worked mutely moment,
then the word came:
"Polly?"
Up in smoke" said the Kid
wearily. .'she and about nineteen
others. l just been looking over the
list"
A bullet through the heart might
have produced much the same ex-
ternal effect on Jimmy Whiskers, and
The Kid
Presently the sobs came-harsh
shuddering sounds that emanated
gotesquely from the diaphragm and
racked old Jimmy's frame.
My-Polly-Oliver!" he choked.
"Gone-Polly oliver
Across the lawn in their direction.
came Black" Murdoch. trainer for
Baltimore Ryan, heavy between the
shoulders, narrow between the eyes.
dark of yisage, and darker still in
his ways. He saw the crumpled fig
ure on the chair, stopped-hesitated-
and then approached. bandaged hands
swinging at his sides.
commiserated. II tried to get your
filly out but couldn't quite make it;
near cost me my hands. Fire started
. next stable to ours, you know-and
we didn't have much time. Too bad
nice little filly-figured to he a queen
all right. I was wondering if you
had her insured?"
Something in the trainers voice
f., Il 4
rect at Murdoch a swift look from
shrewd gray eyes. 70
Dunlap's head wagged a dull mega
tive.
TOO bad" said Murdoch. "You
should have protected yourself, Jim.
Anything I can do?" ...
The old man shook his head again
Murdoch's beetled eyebrows turned in
the direction of the Information Kid,
but the latter was apparently en-
crossed in the task of rolling
cigarette with one hand.
I'm shipping to New Orleans"
Murdoch continued. Cant get any
accommodations here now. I'd offer
YOU job. Jimmy-but the boss has
given me the word to cut down. The
Sheridan stables need help; see them,
Jimmy-and don't take 1T too hard
We all get our bumps, man-all get
'em"'
Polly divers owner gave no sign
that he heard Murdoch moved away.
The Information Kid watched the
trainers retreating form until it dis
appeared Then he eyed again the
broken figure in the chair. Deep in
the recesses of his whimsical imagi-
nation, the seed of hunch was ger
minating
THERE was no racing that after
i noon, and the Information Kid
spent the time in a billiard hall out
side the track. At dusk, he wandered
back to the track and saw old Jimmy
Whiskers hat in hand, standing at
the smoldering grave of his sweet
heart
Huh" grunted the Kid "I'll tell
the cockeyed world there's a picture.
Believe me or no, gents-that old
guys heart is right there under them
ashes; yea, boz
In all truth. the Informa zion Kid,
quixotic child of the race track, had
diagnosed the case correctly Polly
Oliver was worthy of any mans
1ove-a deep-bosomed two-year-old
of exquisite proportions. eyes full of
nre and fervor. ears alert and slightly
tapering, throat clean-cut, and small
head nodded after her mother, who
was in turn removed by only two
generations from a mare of blessed
memory. the first of her sex to lead
nnr rHxya an1I Dali