60 WHIP AND SPUR. 



Rube can't skiu anything around here, I don't 

 know nothin' about horses." 



"Ike, did you ever run that horse 1" 



"Well, Colonel, now you ask me, I did jest 

 give Dwight's darkey a little brush once." 



Conquering my indignation and my scruples, 

 I went over, just for the honor of the establish- 

 ment, and made up a race for the next day. 



I have seen crack race-horses in my time, but 

 I never saw more artistic riding nor more capi- 

 tal running than that summer morning on the 

 River Road at Helena, just as the sun began to 

 gild the muddy Mississippi. The satisfaction of 

 this conquest, and the activity with which new 

 engagements were offered by ambitious lieuten- 

 ants, who little knew the stuff my man and 

 horse were made of, kept off my fever for some 

 weeks ; but I steadily declined all opportunity 

 of racing with horses outside of our command, 

 for I had been reared in a school of Puritan 

 severity, and had never quite overcome my con- 

 victions against the public turf. A corporal of 

 an " Injeanny regement " took occasion to crow 



