A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



give it all to be out o' the race an' not look like a 

 quitter. Well, the time wus cum. Stud hed been 

 frettin' an' I wus stewin', but when we toed the line 

 sumthin' funny happened: We both seemed to settle 

 down an' wus as cam as this here night. I jest hed 

 time to give him one pat an' say, 'God A'mighty, 

 Stud, I'm glad I got you,' when the starter hollered, 

 'Git ready!' An' the gun popped! I yelled, 'Now!' 

 at the same time, an' we wus off. 



"Midnight wus a mite the quickest, but Stud 

 caught his neck in the third jump an' I belt him 

 there. I wanted Midnight to lead, but kep' pushin' 

 him. We didn't change a yard in the fust quarter 

 an' Split yelled, 'Kid, yer holdin' out well, but I got 

 to tell you farewell.' An' he hit Midnight a crack 

 with his quirt. Stud heard it singin' through the air 

 an' jumped like he wus hit hisself. In thirty yards 

 we wus nose an' nose; ten more, a nose ahead. Then 

 I knowed we hed to go fer it. I wus ridin' high 

 over his neck, spurs ready, my quirt belt high, an' 

 I kep' talkin' to him an' saying, 'Good boy, Stud!' 

 The crowd wus a-yellin' like demons. We wus in the 

 last eighth, nose an' nose, an' I let out one o' them 

 Injun yells an', 'Now, Stud! Now!' 



"It seemed like he'd been waitin' fer It. I could 

 feel his heart beatin' faster. There wus a quiver 

 wint through him like a man nervin' hisself fer some 

 big shock. An' I could see him gainin' — slow, but 

 gainin'. The crowd hed stoppt yellin'. It cum sud- 



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