A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



wus plenty o' money on both sides. An' a girl with 

 black eyes an' hair an' jest as purty as a bran' new 

 red wagon, ses, 'Kid, if you win I'm agoin' to knit 

 you sum hot roll socks.' An' Ole Pop Sellers ses, 

 'Better look at them feet an' begin figurin' on yarn, 

 'cause the Kid's agoin' to win.' But Split hed a girl, 

 too, an' she up an' ses, 'If the Kid's dependin' on them 

 there socks to keep warm he's mighty apt to git 

 frost-bit this winter.' Well, you know the josh thet 

 goes 'round when a big bunch o' cow people git 

 together. An' they wus a plenty, until I wus plumb 

 flustrated. When the time cum, a starter on a good 

 boss wus to see thet we got off fair an' then ride with 

 us as sort o' pace-maker an' try an' see the finish. 

 But his boss wusn't in Midnight's an' Stud's class. 



"Split hed seemed to figure thet Midnight didn't 

 need no trainin', he hed run so meny races an' never 

 been beat. So all Split did wus saddle Midnight and 

 Stan' 'round an' josh. But me an' Stud was addled, 

 an' I warmed him up a bit, talkin' to him all the 

 time. I wus worited 'bout urgin' him in a tight 

 place. I hed played with my spurs on him, but he 

 never hed been spurred in his life 'cept a signal touch 

 to turn or jump. I alius carried a quirt on the horn 

 o' my saddle, but 'cept to tap him in a frenly way or 

 in work he hed never knowed its use. What wus I 

 a-goln' to do in a pinch? I knowed he would use his 

 limit under my word, but what if he didn't? Did I 

 hev to hit him? If I owned this here ranch I'd hev 



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