Evening star., 1925-07-19

| DreaQWlnnerS.
Old Snowflake was submitting
alphabetically to his masters touch.
| The thoroughbred seemed to have
lost interest in the sport he had graced
SO long. But suddenly he quickened
to life. Up came the famous golden
head with its white blaze: sensitive
ears fiexed alertly forward and
| Advance Guard stood to attention.
The Information Kid caught the whir
| of wings, and looked up A minia-
ture airplane, propelled by plumes of
lavender, shot by, wheeled and float
ed down to it's empty cote. Helen of
Troy rested there a moment and then
f1uttered toward the roof of Advance
Guards stall. The crippled little
widow sounded timid appeal: Cur
ra-dhoo Curra-dhoo."
| Old Snowflake moved forward a
step.
''Whoa!" said old man Benson. Did
tell you to move? What's got into
your"
The Information Kid laughed and
went on his way. 1t was two weeks
before he spoke to Benny Benson
| again. Advance Guards owner, sore
ly troubled approached the young
| hustler. Son" he faltered, wish
you'd tell me bout that hunch of
yours. Seems like nobody else can
help me. l only got the one horse
and l don't figure to ever have an
other. Guess you know what I think
of him"
| The hustler put a comforting arm
| around the shoulders of his friend.
Tell you what to do, Benny. When
| you bed Advance Guard down to-
night, leave the top half of the stall
| door open, and then go away. Don't
show uD until DAYLIGHT"
Benson began TO sputter. The Kid
cut him short. Don't ask any ques-
tions, Benny. All you have to do is
| leave that door open and keep away.
You wouldn't do that much If / was
| to tell you any more. Seem is be-
about o'clock tomorrow morning.
and If my hunch is any good you'll
learn something"
| x
DAWN was just climbing the Mex
- lean mountains when Advance
Guards owner came toiling up Fry
! ing pan Hill. The Information Kid
was shivering outside the stall. He
| held up warning hand.
"Mitt me, B-Benny!" he chartered.
| "G-go e-easy, or you'll W-wake him
up"
| Old man Benson tiptoed forward,
peering into the darkened stall. Ad-
vance Guard was asleep. The great
chestnut rested contentedly on his
bed of straw, long legs relaxed, eyes
| closed and head dropped low.
What's that funny noise?" whis
pered old man Benson. "If that's him
breathin'. he's got a cold. Dog my
| cats, | told you now to-"
Shut up" hissed the Kid. Didn't
you ever hear pigeon lullaby be-
fore? That's Helen of Troy! Look
close, and you'll see her roosting
Snowflake was lonesome! He want
ed stable pal. Well, he's got one
now. Being widow pigeon. Helen
knew just how to go about it. Cheer
up. Benny; it amt gonna rain no
morei"
Gosh said Benny. "One of them
fool pigeons! Old horse must be in
his second childhood. GOSH"
"All you have TO do now, Benny"
said the Kid. 'is to play up to Miss
Brown. That's her pigeon, and when
she finds out what kind of company
it's keeping there's going to be trou-
Bile. You'd better get on the right side
of the lady; you'd better apologize for
trying to run her off the track. If
you don't help her win some races,
she'll lock up the pigeon
Hope she does"' snorted Benny.
Pigeons and a woman What's this
track coming to? Darn If l don't ship
to Canada tomorrow
But, of course, he didn't Henry
the Rat burst into the track restau-
rant a few mornings later. Say, lis
ten," he implored. Has Benny Ben
son got boy?"
The Information Kid replied en-
phatically in the negative.
- -
self" said Henry. Hes shaved off
his whiskers, and he looks like a two
year-old. Just passed him going up
the hill with Dusty's sister. Strike
me blind, If the lady wasn't laughinI
Are them two nuts gonna team up
like the horse and pigeon? Do we
couple 'em in the betting? Huh?
x ~
A DVANCE GUARD came home in
front that afternoon. and followed
it up with seven more victories in the
next 21 days. The great chestnut had
returned to winning form. Every hus-
tier on the track was in clover, for
old Snow-face was the idol of the fra
ternity-the one best bet for all those
care-free knights Of the turf whose
mission in life was to outguess their
neighbors. Even Henry the Rat, who
usually doubted everything, was now
among the steady supporters of Ad-
vance Guard AS usual. Henry had
an angle" all his own.
THE pigeon tips it off when the
to the Kid. "Ain't you wise to it YETI
Well, listen: Whenever Advance
Guard is racing. the pigeon. follows
him down the hill and flies around the
track while the field is going to the
post. Then 1t goes up on the roof of
the grandstand and lights on one
side of the wire or the other. If it's
the side beyond the winning post. go
right down and bet your shoes. The
old gee-gee is in.''
The Information Kid pondered a
moment. But Henry, how can you
figure that way? Old Snow-face hasn't
dropped race yet2"
That's just it," said Henry. THE
pigeon amt lit yet on the other side
of the wiren'
The Kid knew better than to argue
the matter any further. Things hap
pen on a race track that not even a
hustler can explain. He learns to ac-
cept them without inquiring too deep,
ly into the why and wherefore. And
if he can profit by the result, so much
the better.
Miss Browns pigeon and Old Man
Benson's horse had become insepara-
BILE, and now their owners were often
seen together. 1t was the first court
ship in the history of Frying-pan Hill,
and naturally the residents We're slow
to recognize it. Even the Information
Kid was not certain. He knew, how
ever, that something was in the air.
Benny Benson. who used to guard his
roll with safety pins, had opened
bank account for the first time in his
life. He had acquired safety razor,
second SlJit of clothes and an IInu1is.