340 THE LUKE LIGHTWOOD LEGACY. 



couldn't be kept away from this here hoss race as soon as 

 you heerd that this here mar' was gwine to run ! 

 You've come up here to bet your pile on her, and to 

 win, too, for I tell you what it is, that thar hoss don't 

 stand no manner of chance ! He can't tich bottom no 

 how ! This here mar' can out-run a hatful of bad- 

 skeered lightnin', she kin ! Come, all you what's for 

 the mar', let's lick'r." 



This invitation was addressed to the crowd ; and 

 from the number that availed themselves of it, an in- 

 experienced observer might have inferred that the 

 black horse had no partisans whatever in the crowd. 

 That such was not the case, however, was soon 

 proved, by the arrival of Mat with a similar invitation, 

 when a fully equal number "lickered" for the "hoss." 

 The fact is, the whole crowd drank both times. And 

 now came the closing scene preparatory to proceeding 

 to the race-ground. The horses were brought around, 

 amid the cheers of the crowd, and the hectoring of 

 Mat, who, in loud tones of voice, began advising his 

 opponents to "blindfold their mar', or put her in the 

 stable, 'cause if she was to cotch sight of this here 

 hoss, she'd swooned right away, she would !" And 

 occasionally he would pretend to blindfold his horse, 

 " 'cause as how, if he war to get a good look at the 

 critter he had to run against, he'd be dead sure not to 

 run a mite, he'd be so 'shamed." Here the Sheriff in- 

 terfered swore "he warn't a gwine to hear his mar' 

 abused that way" stepped out from the crowd 

 dashed his hat upon the ground and invited Mat to 

 step out and "take a chunk of a fight." Mat, nothing 

 loth, complied with the invitation ; others of the crowd 

 took sides for one or the other, and matters appeared 

 very fair for a general "scrimmage," when Tom and I 



