Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-02-13
The Spill
BY HAL C. VERMES
@ Mcclure NewspaDer Syndicate.
WNU Service.

- suggests Mudder McMOrk, that
you are coming home immediate"
my father does not know am
here" says the boy on the big bay
stallion.
"HOw is this?" l ask
II come from a family of hooters,
the boy explains. "All us Jepsons has
been jockeys since way before my time
But when l was yearling, my moth
er's brother got killed in steeplechase
and ma got so scared she told dad that
he would have to give up riding the
horses forever. And when my father
would not do this, my mother took me
away"
"Then how is It," inquire, shat
your mother let you be a booterr"
"She did not want me to have any
thing to do with the turf" the young
ster says, "but l have the racing fever
in my blood from my father and could
not help It."
"That we can easy understand" says
Mudder. But still and all, like / al
ready told you, you cannot win the
Stokes Steeplechase. And the reason
is that King Pin, the famous jumper,
Is entered and riding him will be Harry
the Pinhead, the best steeplechase jock
from anywhere"
Nevertheless" states the boy, II
have got to win!"
"And why" l ask, SIS this so ter
rible important?"
Because my mother" the kid re-
plies, feels different after so many
years since her brother died. And now
l have got her to promise that If
win this steeplechase can look for
my dad and bring him home"
On the day of the Stokes race, me
and my pals are assembled at the worst
water jump to watch the show. Stand
Ing on the roof of taxi, we can see
the start and then we follow the pack
through our field glasses as they go
over the hurdles. The whole field make
the first couple of jumps which are not
so tough. But at the third, which is
high brush hurdle, four horses go
down. A woman faints as the Wallets
run out and pick up jock who has
been hurt.
Now with my glasses l have picked
out Harry the Pinhead on King Pin.
He is with the last half-dozen bang
tails but Harry is no fool. He knows
that when a horse and rider are down
they are out; and that the most i'm
portant thing is to clear the carriers
carefully so that man and horse will
be in perfect shape to go over the dan
gerous last water hazard and can make
the final squirt to win.
And still using his head, when Harry
comes toward us, with the Jepson kid
right behind him, he goes for the out
side where there Is plenty of room and
lifts the King Pin easily over the wa
ter hole in beautiful jump which it
is a pleasure to see. But when the
horses forefeet hit the other side,
Harry suddenly flies from the saddle,
lands hard on the turf and lays very
still.
AS soon as the pack sweeps by, the
boys and me are out there and bring
Harry to the cab. We rushes him to
hospital and then waits half the night
till the medico lets US in to see him.
when you are on your feet again."
Mudder says, sin case you wouldn't
want to ride no more, my pals and me
would like to have you come in with us.
We got little string of stakers and
we share and share alike"
"Okay," says Harry the Pinhead, try
ing to smile through his bandages. But
what / want to know is who won the
race"
"a bay stallion nobody ever heard
Of" says Mudder, (which was ridden
by young apprentice from the South"
1--WE was talking with him the other
day and he sure wanted to win this
Stokes Steeplechase," / Inform him.
ION account of something about his
mother and father he says he needs to
win awful bad"
awful bad, ehT' Harry repeats.
"Well, so he did"
"But you would have won," 1 point
out, IF you did not take that tumble
And as you never fell off a horse be-
fore 1t seems very peculiar"
"Yes," says Harry slowly, ut is very
peculiar indeed"
As he says that 1 remember that 1
saw him sitting quietly in back of us
in the stand the day the Jepson kid
told us his story; but when l turned
to speak to him after, he was gone.
And when the door bangs open and
see young Jepson standing there,
also know why Harry took the spill.
Come on, you clucks," l says to
Mudder and BERTHE, giving them a
shove; Il think this boy here has got
a terri6cally important message he