RUBY. 59 



life, and suffered enough from heat and hunger 

 and thirst, and stifling, golden dust to more 

 than pay for it. 



Helena was a pestiferous swamp, worth more 

 than an active campaign to our enemies, filling 

 our hospitals, and furrowing the levee bank with 

 graves. It was too hot for much drilling, and 

 we kept our better horses in order by daybreak 

 races. With the local fever feeling its way into 

 my veins, I was too listless to care much for 

 any diversion ; but Ike came to me one evening 

 to say that he " reckoned " Ruby was as good 

 a horse as anybody had in the " camps," and 

 he might as well take a hand in the games. I 

 told him I had no objection to his being run, 

 if he could find a suitable boy, but that both 

 he and I were too heavy for race-riding. 



" I don't weigh only about a hundred and a 

 half," said the ambitious man. 



"Well, suppose you don't, that is ten pounds 

 too much." 



" I reckon a man can ride ten pound lighter 

 'n he is if he knows how to ride ; anyhow, if 



