im 



Till-: AMKiacAN r.h:b:-Ki':EPER 



Sej)tember 



ceedingly warm. They chaffed me un- 

 merciinlly about my unfortunate tip, 

 but I took it all in good part, while in- 

 wardly vowiirg that I \vould fire off 

 some of my suppressed auger upon 

 Dixey if his precocious outsider fiuisiied 

 where everybody expected him to finish 

 —last. 



Th(>re is no need for me to enter into 

 any length}' description of the event, 

 but it is just necessary to mention one 

 or two facts about the most sensational 

 Derby on record, and one that will 

 never be lorgotten by those who had 

 the good fortune to witness it. 



I nervously looked around for Don 

 Pero. Yes, he was there all right, Irat 

 what an ill lavored looking animal com- 

 pared with the others! His jockey, too, 

 was merely a stable lad, but I thought 

 that I detected a gleam of confidence in 

 his eye and a look of fixed determina- 

 tion upon his boyish face. 



"Now they're off, " is the cry. No, it 

 is a false s*^art. The favorite has broken 

 away. His supporters standing around 

 me are quivering with excitement, and 

 many of them give vent to audible 

 groans. 



The horses face the starter once more, 

 and in another minute we see the white 

 flag fall and know that they have been 

 dispatched on their fateful journey. 



In the first part of the race they seem 

 to be all together, but as they near Tat- 

 tenham corner the favorite begins to 

 steel ahead. I look for Don Pero — he is 

 nearly last. The corner is turned with 

 Windermere well in front. 



"The favorite wins!" "The favorite 

 romps home!" is the cry on all hands. 



But what is thai; «teadiiy creeping up 

 on the outside? As I live it is Don Pero! 

 Don Pero will not be shaken off, and he 

 gradually bears the leader down, down, 

 as they near home. 



It is doubtful to tell from where we 

 are standing which horse has won, but 

 it appears to be the favorite, although 

 Don Pero was extremely close up. At 

 length the numbers appear on the tele- 

 graph board: 16 — 24 — 4. 



I could hardly believe my eyes. Six- 

 teen is Don Pero's number, 24 Winder- 

 mere's and 4 that of another outsider. 



There was a deadly silence all around. 

 No enthusiasm, no sliouting, no jubila- 

 tion of any kind. Blank despair is 

 ulainlv written on the majority of faces 



near ma '.L'hen one of i.;y coileugncs 

 tuiLG J to mc-: 



"Wh-^1 does it n^oan. Goody? You 

 are ovicienLly in the k:j.:.w. " 



"It means, '■'! s:i:id, deterniiucd to 

 have my revcuge upon tl'.- ;■!. "that if 

 you want to get a correct tip you must 

 come to me," and with tb;:T. parting 

 shot I hasteuerj. to the p.tdd.. ... v. hie J 

 saw Dixey r^nrrounded bra ci-^ wd of m- 

 quirJiig sportsmen. 



"Tiianks very much for tl)e wire, old 

 man," I said in the conric < f the con- 

 versa tic u. 



"Wire?" he replied, with a look of 

 surprice on his face. "What wire?" 



"Why, yen wired Jiio tiiafc year horse 

 would win?' 



"What on earth are you talking 

 about. Goody? I never v,-ired to you. " 



"Well, I've ,ucit the wire here," I 

 said as I felt in my pocket for it. But 

 it was not there I seai\hed each pocket, 

 but in vai)]. I must have left it at the 

 office. Dixey began ro laug!:. 



"How do you think i .-^iMJuici iiave 

 tipped such an oatsid or if 1 had not 

 heard from you?" I a.sked him, almost 

 angrily. 



"xiush! Not so loud," said Dixey, 

 looking round inahr.lf friglitened man- 

 ner. "You fancy I wired to you. Quite 

 a mistake, I assure you. I intended to 

 do so, but I. thought that it would be no 

 good. That's all. Goody, really." 



I saw it all. Dixey had s^ut the tele- 

 gram and didn't want anybody (o know 

 that he had done sa Ail light. I would 

 keep his secret. 



When I returned to town, I went 

 straight to the office. I looked every- 

 where, but could find no trace of the 

 telegram. 



I rang for Simmoiis. As .he entered I 

 said: 



"Simmons, have you seen the tele- 

 gram that j'ou brought me this morn- 

 ing?" 



"Telegram, sir? I never broaght you 

 a telegram. " 



I could hardly believe my ears. There 

 was a mistake somewhere Bub I gave 

 it up as a bad job and went oif to the 

 club. Everybody there was 3iic:-t enthu- 

 siastic and coiigratuiatory. Afkir we 

 had settled down in the smoking room 

 I told the boys the whole story. 



They were rather increduious at fir.^t, 

 until Jimmy Berners buisc out, 'I tell 



