Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-12-22
CHAPTER s

And through his glasses ne had
watched Knight Errant get pocketed
and slammed around in races Of his
own division, the ones in which he
figured to just muzzle home on the
chinstrap.
He saw the chesty little jockey,
Dimples Draper, ride knight Errant
atrociously, and knew the boy was
capable Of doing better.
Slim, in his own mind, was con-
WINGED Charlie Bassitt was merely
qualifying with Heather's colt.
Impulsively Slim seized with crav
ing to hunt up Bassitt and punch him
on the nose. On second and calmer
thought he determined it would be
better to find Heather and tell her
what he had heard.
Slim saw Heather standing on the
lawn in front of the clubhouse. Watch
ing her, his tempestuous fervor died
and he hesitated.
What if she snubbed him again as
she had twice at Santa Anita?
What did it matter as long as there
was the slightest chance for him to
convince her Of Bassitt's evil motives.
He would try to convince her anyway,
and he started with determination
down the clubhouse steps.
A friend stopped him on the way.
"How about this thing Knight Err
rant in here Slim, hasn't he got a
chance?"
"Not today" Slim warned.
The off bell rangI Slim trained his
glasses on the back stretch for the
start of the five-eighths mile sprint.
He saw Knight Errant leave the bar
rier full of run. But at the far
turn :. >.
He saw the colt fighting for his
head as Dimples Draper had him I'M
der a choking pull. And when the
race was ended he put down his glass
es thoughtfully :.
Speeding back to San Francisco on
the Southern Pacific special after the
race, Snapper remarked that he
couldn't do anything right any more.
"Last night / bet dog named Dash
o. Fire at Baden" Snapper explain
ed. "He was out in front on the
backstretch when what do think hap
pened?"
II don't know, but it was something
awful, I bet," Slim replied, cycling
Snapper suspiciously.
"Yeah, some monkey back of the
fence tossed a cat on the track and
Dash O'Fire wound up chasing the
kitty instead of the rabbit"
Slim resignedly peeled off twenty
and asked Snapper to make it stretch
until the end of the week.
"Did you see the lights on the tote
board flash Knight Grants closing
odds, six to one, this afternoon?"
Slim asked.
"That's the highest price he's been
in any of his ten races to date. It
won't be long now. The odds are
cherry ripe for Bassitt's liking. He'll
Just about crack down with knight
Errant in the next race"
Snapper glowed with anticipation.
"And will we be aboard!"
well ride right along with Bas-
sitt," Slim answered, and he deter
mined to wait another race before
confronting Heather with the facts.
Anxiously, Slim Maynard watched
for Knight Grants name to appear
on the list of starters at Bay Mead
.ows. And this morning when he saw
Charlie Bassitt running his hawk eyes
over a set of entries at the racing Of
flee and looking even more Snug than
usual, Sims suspicious were aroused.
They were confirmed moment later
when Slim looked for himself to dis
cover that Knight Errant was a start
er in the first race the following day.
Slim had good line on every 2
year-old on the grounds and, as ne
looked over the kind of horses Knight
Errant was matched with here, his
Judgment told him it was just the sort
of a race Bassitt would pick for
knight Errant to win.
He based this conclusion on the
fact that among the twelve starters
was a mare named Desert FREELY.
She had won five straight and Slim
felt certain the public would play her
heavily.
Inevitably the fans made horse
with a winning streak like this a
short-priced favorite. This was just
what Bassitt would want, Slim reason
ed. It would help hike the odds on
Knight Errant.
Rut Slim knew Desert FREELY