LIFE WITH THE TKOTTEES. 97 



me to do, which for a boy seemed to me pretty fair. About 

 this time the x3roi3rietor of the Oakland track advertised a 

 purse, free for all horses, entries to close at a certain day. 

 I did not ask Budd whether he was going to trot Goldsmith 

 Maid, and he did not ask me whether I intended to start 

 Rarus. I did not think Badd would enter his mare, from 

 the fact that I had often heard him say he would never 

 start her in another purse. When the entries were oi)ened, 

 I was somewhat surjuised To learn that Budd had nomi- 

 nated Goldsmith Maid. I had entered Rarus, and I think 

 sent a check for his entrance. I saw the proprietor of the 

 track, and he informed me there were only those two entries, 

 but that if I would guarantee to give Goldsmith Maid a 

 race, he would let the money go for these two. I never 

 knew what he said to Budd, if anything; but I don't think 

 he had any talk with him about it. I had already, in my 

 own mind, concluded to give Goldsmith Maid a race at that 

 time, although I did not care to state so to the i)roprietoi' of 

 the track, as that was a matter that I thought ^\•ould be 

 worth something to me to keej) to myself. xVnyway, the 

 proprietor accepted the entries, advertised the race to come 

 off in connection with the balance of his meeting, and I 

 commenced to get my tools ready to give i3eoj)le what Jack 

 Phillips calls "a yearly killing." I never talked to any 

 one about the race in any way, shape, or manner, with the 

 exceiDtion of a gentleman of the name of Kenner, whose 

 acquaintance I had made while in San Francisco, and 

 who was in the habit of doing a little betting, occasionally. 

 I worked my horse out about three days before the race, 

 and then and there decided to back him and try to beat 

 Goldsmith Maid. I went to Mr. Kenner, stated the case to 

 him, told him that I Avas sure I could beat the Maid, pointed 

 out that she was old, and that if it came to a long-drawn fight 

 Rarus must certainly wear her out, and that I believed he 

 could out-trot her in tlie first half-mile in the first heat. I fur- 

 ther told him that if Rarus did not beat the Maid, Iwouklbe 

 more mistaken than I had been about a race for a longtime. 



