JEWED. 331 



but you know he's run for the Legislature, and spoke 

 about so much a stumpin' uv it, that he kin make 

 things look all right if you'll oney listen to it. 



"Ef er put up we'r struck, boys," concluded Uncle 

 Billy; "less be shore we'r gwine in on the winnin 

 hoss." 



In the course of the morning I made acquaintance 

 of Mr. Keeno Cook, and received, and accepted, an in- 

 vitation to take a drink with that individual. Mr. 

 Cook was a large, raw-boned man, with nothing of 

 note in his appearance, except a grave restraint of 

 manner, rather at variance with the boisterous de- 

 portment of the mass of the assemblage. The contour 

 of his face reminded me somewhat of the head of a 

 buffalo fish, and his dim blue eyes were in good keep- 

 ing with the resemblance. He was a man of few 

 words, and evidently felt himself capable of keeping 

 his own counsel. 



The day was on the decline before many vexing 

 preliminaries, such as choosing judges for the start 

 and outcome, valuing the horses which were staked on 

 the race, etc., were gotten through with. These busi- 

 ness matters were dispatched not without much pro- 

 fanity and rough sarcasm upon the part of Col. Pierch 

 directed toward Keeno Cook, who bore them with a 

 tranquility of manner in perfect keeping with my pre- 

 conceived opinion of the man. 



On arriving at the paths, I found them located 

 upon the verge of a prairie that was spread out to the 

 east and north. The early frost of autumn had tinged 

 the grass slightly with a russet hue. The evening 

 was lovely in the extreme a faint hum of insect life 

 pervaded the air, and thousands of gossamer webs 



