134 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



of the house near where that event was supposed to be 

 about to come off. 



The greater part of the crowd had gone up to the top 

 of the hill to see fair play in the start, leaving three or 

 four of the most leg weary to watch which should come 

 first round the corner. 



A loud shout told the start. Down they came, so close 

 together that the judges swore there was but one, which 

 was a strong evidence that they didn't see double, and as 

 it turned out, I believe they really did not, for just as 

 they neared the corner where I stood, both nags saw the 

 buffalo, and Bill Smithers saw 'the elephant,' for while 

 old Zack put it straight through at his best licks. Bill's 

 horse wheeled and sheered close up to the side of the 

 building, and suddenly disappeared, as though the yawn- 

 ing earth had oped her jaws as when by earthquake 

 riven. 



About that same time, I thought, as I had not been seen 

 among the lookers on in Vienna, I might as well retire 

 rather suddenly, and leave the mystery to be solved by 

 the due course of events. 



Accordingly, about five minutes afterwards I was 

 dreaming that there was a very animated discussion go- 

 ing on as to what had become of Bill Smithers and the 

 Gen. Cass nag, as it was indisputable that, as the record 

 of that race, they were both to be set down as *no whar !' 

 in the meantime Bill began to think he was somewhere, 

 but where that where was, he was well satisfied he 

 couldn't tell. He thought he had seen the 'big animal,' 

 and began to think he had rode under his belly ; for every 

 time he attempted to remount, he struck his head against 

 something, and as the moon had gone out when he fell, 

 he could not tell what it was that hindered his rising in 

 the world. 



How long he would have lain in that deep ocean of 

 darkness buried, I know not, if it had not chanced that 

 other eyes than mine had seen him. Woman — ever watch- 

 ful woman — had seen the immortal Bill Smithers, astride 



