"^Oh, I know everything-," was the suave response, and 

 the lad went away, leaving the bookmaker greatly mystified. 

 He always believed afterward that a job had been fixed up 

 on him. 



In this connection another little incident comes to me 

 that shows the quick repartee of the old-time Southern negro 

 and at the same time his respectfulness. There was a white 

 man at the track whom a negro had offended in some way. 

 It was nothing serious and there was really no reason for 

 the man's display of violent anger w^hen they met on the 

 track. 



•' I'm going to whip the life out of you," said the white 

 man. preparing to make good his words. 



" Boss," replied the negro, innocently," ef yous is gwine 

 ter do hit please don't do it on de racetrack. Any whar else 

 an' I won't say a word." 



** Why not on the race track?" asked the man becom- 

 ing interested in spite of himself. 



" Case, said the negro, " on de race track all men air 

 ekul. Dat is, dar air two place whar day air ekul. One air 

 on de turf an' de othah air under de turf. So you done see 

 you cain't hit me heah wif de propah kerspec' ter youse'f." 



Of course, this caused a laugh, and the result was that 

 the man forget his anger, handed the negro a dollar to buy 

 himself some gin, and they parted the best of friends. 



I remember once standing in the grandstand at the 

 Louisville course, beautiful Churchill Downs. There was 

 an old negress not far away from me. It was a long time 

 until the races were to begin, but I had gone there early in 

 order to see some friends, and I became weary of waiting. 

 So, as a matter of diversion, I turned my attention to the old 

 woman. 



" Aunty, why are you out here?" I asked. " You are 

 surely not going to bet away the money you have worked 

 hard for all winter." 



" No, indeedy," was the pompous response. " I wucks 

 too hard for my money ter gib hit ter er ole gamier. I air 

 heah for de puppus er seein' my Mose, dat's whut." 



"Ah! Your fellow." 



" No, hits not my fellar; hit's my boy, Mose.'' 



" Tell me about him," said I, becoming interested. 



