Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-02-16

Slim exploded. "He looks like pork"
Heather explained that Artichokes,
the good natured old darkey, had been
"fattening" him. Slim blistered Ar
tichokes orally and made Heather
promise to put her colt on strict
diet.
eff you take good care Of Knight
Errant he may be able to run in a
month";" Slim said to Heather in part
ing.
ooh, but he's running Saturday in
the Peninsula Handicap at Tanofran,"
Heather nominated him last week."
"What!" Slim exploded. "Why /
nominated Comanche this morning
for the same race"
"Comanche or no Comanche," she
said proudly, Knight Errant is go
ing to race Saturday"
"Don't be ridiculous, Heather. Your
colt couldn't run around the block in
his present condition"
Heather, was indignant, Slim I'M
compromising. They parted with fric-
ton, as usual.
-
Getting arrested for speeding on
the San Juan grade en- route back to
San Francisco contributed nothing to
Sims peace of mind, nor did three
telephone slips in his box at the hotel
all from Edith, demanding that he
call her.
"Where have you been?" she want
ed to know immediately.
"Out," was Sims evasive reply.
eyes, but not out at the stables"
Edith accused. 81 looked for you"
"I went to see Knight Errant."
"Slim, you're not being fair.
You're working for me. You owe
your time and your loyalty to CO.
manche."
Edith was right, and Slim admit
ted as much to her.
He was tired, and had planned to
go to bed, but his double flare-up
first with Heather and then Edith,
drove him to bar.
"a boilermaker!" he ordered. J.
Then out of the corner of his eye
Slim caught the flash of a checkered
suit that identified it's owner unmis-
takably.
Snapper Elliott" Slim beloved.
"When did you get in town."
"Don't ask when, ask how. Well,
just got here. This time I happen
ed to sweat my way in on horse
car. Susie and I shared the same
blanket"
"Why didn't you look me up?"
Slim asked.
cav, thought you'd be busy tax
ing your music lesson"
Emusic lesson? How Gomez"
Hasn't that Ashleigh dame bought
you violin YETI"
Snapper tossed ten dollar bill on
the bar with "They're on mel"
+ +
So back to the races Heather
brought Knight Errant, the "prob-
lem child" of the turf. Slim stood in
front of Comanche's stable in Tanfor-
ans ode luxe row" as Heather and
Artichokes drove up with Knight En-
rant in the trailer van.
Talking with Slim was Bert Bar
nj, the little Italian immigrant from
Reno who had parlayed shoe shine
box into slot machine, some more
slot machines into a horse, and that
horse, Top Row, into 100000 San
ia Anita Handicap victory.
The two watched Knight Errant
being led into a stall across from
where the Ashleigh horses were quar-
tered. Slim shot despairing glance
at the still bloated form of the, over
fed colt.
"Can you guess who that horse is ?"
he asked Baroni.
"You mean which brewery he hauls
for?"
"You can believe it or not, it's
Knight Errant, Coronado's colt"
81 wouldn't have known him. Slim.
He got a raw deal from Charlie Bas-
slit, l know, but it looks now as if
he'd fallen into even worse hands"
The Peninsula Handicap would
mark the twenty-fifth start of Knight
Grants career. He had won two,
lost twenty-five, and Slim recalled,
with irony, that Coronado's record
for a corresponding number of his
earlier races had been just the re-
verse, twenty-five victories, two de-
feats.
CHAPTER 1H