Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-01-26

horse ran wide, carried three others
with her, almost to the outside fence,
and Susie zoomed through an open
ing.
"Here she comes!" Snapper yelled.
Slim snatched the glasses from
Snapper's hands. AS Susie came fal
tering up the stretch threatening with
every stride to fall apart, Slim kept
swapping his fingers. This, he did
with a rhythm that matched every
other stride Susie took, as if Slim
feared that by missing a beat his
fingers might throw Susie off her
gait.
She chugged under the wire good
head in frontal least it wasn't close
enough for the judges to call for a
picture.
She chugged under the wire good
head in front-at least it wasn't close
enough for the judges to call for a
picture.
Soon the prices were posted, show
ing Susie paid $24.4O for each two
dollars bet on her to win, Slim had
$240 ION her nose"
In the flash of an eye Slim had his
winnings correctly calculated-$2,928
plus purse money of $500. Now for
that claiming race the fifth :.
But was Slim the only one at the
track with faith in Knight Errant
and with $1,000 to back that faith?
He wondered.
Clutching a sheaf of hundred dol
lar bills, his winnings on Susie in the
first race, with which he hoped to
revamp Knight Grants destiny, Slim
Maynard turned from the cashing win
dow to face Edith Clarfke Ashleigh.
He had wished to avoid his future en-
ployer until after the running of the
knight Errant race, the fifth, fearing
that Comanche's ex-workmate might
embarrass his plans for claiming the
colt
"Slim!" Edith greeted cheerily. 81
didn't know you owned horse. When
I saw your name on the program as
owner of Susie, bet-just out of sen
timent."
Slim noted in her hand slab of
mutuel tickets two inches thick which
Edith called sentiment"
His bet on Susie, too, he thought,
was out of sentiment, for another girl
and another horse.
"Susie! Cute name for a horse.
Family name, Slim, or is she named
for that girl in Californian" Edith
chided pleasantly.
"No, 1 bought Susie ready named"
Slim said.
"She's darling little mare. Weren't
you afraid you might lose her in that
claiming race? You know, Slim,
that's one of the things we must talk
over-tonight, if you're free-before
you take charge of my horses. Claim
ing races are vicious. 1 won't per-
nit horse of mine to run in one.
What is more, I have never acquired
a horse out of claiming race. It's
mercenary and unsportsmanlike, I
think"
Slim was sure now he had nothing
to fear about Edith claiming Knight
Errant.
Promising to report at 9 that even
ing he hurried to the racing office to
register his bid for Heather's colt.
Anxiously he asked the clerk if his
was the first claim in on Knight Err
rant.
There's one ahead of you so far,
SLIM" he was told, "a fellow named
Tony Scitano."
Bassitt was in back of Tony's
claim, Slim knew.
Slim knew Tony by sight and evil
reputation only. It was Tony whom
Dimples Draper had heard talking
over the Knight Errant betting coup
with Charlie Bassitt in the supposed
privacy of Bassitt's tack room earlier
in the week.
Providing there were no other bid
ders, Slim would now have to draw
lots for Knight Errant in the judges
stand after the race. If Tony won
he would turn the horse back to Bas-
slit in order to keep the latter from
running afoul of the judges for "sell
ing out" Heather
Sims slick scheme to get Knight
Errant out of Bassitt's hands and re-
store him to Heather was now ieop-
,nIiuoI and hn bnd 70 onrnrnln hit,ncnlf