18 THE BEGINNING. 



that his skull was fractured, and as he died without be- 

 coming conscious it was impossible to gather the de- 

 tails in connection with the only tragedy of this char- 

 acter ever seen on a trotting track. The mystery was 

 partly solved by finding a board some ten feet long, 

 six inches wide' at one end and something wider at the 

 other, which was lying near the spot. One end of it 

 was covered with blood and a piece shivered from the 

 end. 



"It has always been believed that some person or 

 persons, whose identity was never discovered, pulled 

 the board from the track fence and standing on or in- 

 side the rail held it so that the horse or driver would 

 run against it. The blow, probably intended for the 

 horse, was sustained by the driver with the fatal result 

 as stated. Several parties, including Riley, the driver 

 of Cooley, were arrested, but as there was no evidence 

 they were discharged." 



"Rather fierce racing," came the easy drawl 

 through the partition of the stall and which I credited 

 to the New Orleans member of the party. "Reckon if 

 old Ben had been there he would have found the man 

 even if he had been forced to run all of them through 

 a seive." 



"Think so, do you?" remarked his huskiness. "Well 

 probably you know, but if no one objects, I move that 

 the. orator as soon as he has taken a breath or two 

 spiels a trifle on the text. That plank business made 

 me feel a trifle creepy." 



After a slight interruption, during which I aroused 

 myself enough to relight my cigar, I again heard the 

 familiar voice swing into line with the remark : 



