218 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



A CANADIAN ''GUERILLA" YARN. 



Some time ago when travelling in a railway carriage 

 I chanced to meet an old ''giierilla" of the road, one of 

 the pioneers of '62, in whose company at that ancient 

 date I had journeyed many thousands of miles, when rail- 

 way trains were few and far between and telegraph 

 offices were unknown in a majority of the villages of On- 

 tario. As we sat and chatted about ye ancient days the 

 name of many a good fellow who has since sailed over the 

 dark river came to mind, and pleasanter thoughts of other 

 veterans still on the warpath whiled away in a happy 

 fashion what otherwise might have proved tedious hours 

 long drawn out. 



One of the old-time recollections twined around as 

 rare good a specimen as ever unpacked a sample trunk. 

 My old friend Linton, known to his intimates as "Bob" 

 Linton, now alas on the retired list through blindness, 

 was one of the very earliest enlisted "guerillas" of 

 the very select company in that '62 and thereabouts who 

 had the road to themselves, and many a good ti'ip he 

 and I had together in those days. The fun in connection 

 with friend Linton was scored at Mount Forest a good 

 many years ago, and mouldy though the story be with age, 

 it will be fresh as new paint to the present army of young 

 men who go forth with cases and trunks from this city. 



The night was one in August, close and sultry, and the 

 bedroom which Bob had apportioned him being of the 

 slanting roof order, was almost hot enough to stew oys- 

 ters, so the occupant forthwith proceeded to elevate the 

 window to the top notch. This done, he went to bed, not 

 to sleep, but to roll around on top of the clothes and 

 wonder why on earth he had been idiot enough to accept 

 such quarters when he could have had a soft mattress on 

 the back verandah where a cool air fanned to sleep two 

 of his chums who had refused to be grilled in similar 

 quarters. Soon after lying down he was disturbed by a 



