THE SECRETARY 247 



of his meeting, yet the trainer is not thoroughly con- 

 vinced, but still wavers and doubts. Then is the time for 

 a fine stroke of dignified cessation of hostilities. The sec- 

 retary pretends he has given up all hope and has ceased 

 to care whether he gets the entry or not. He saunters 

 away, and now the trainer gets anxious and follows up 

 the secretary. More indifference on the part of the latter, 

 greater anxiety of the former, until he is even worked up 

 to the pitch of uncertainty as to whether his entry will be 

 accepted, as he timorously offers it, and it is accepted — "as 

 an accommodation." 



There are a few men in the business who make their 

 entries frankly, never holding off, nor asking this condi- 

 tion, nor that favor. "Knap" McCarthy was a shining 

 example of this class. "Are you going to our meeting, 

 'Knap'?" the secretary asks. "Yes, and I might as well 

 make my entries now ; so take them down." That was the 

 whole formula with him. Monroe Salisbury and Ed 

 Geers are also of this class. And there are a few others, 

 a few, yes, a few — very. If there were more, the secre- 

 tary's lot would be a happier one, and the shadows of his 

 brow would lighten. 



If you depend for your income on the trotting ability 

 of a horse — one that will go down the big circuit, and will 

 train on, and trot on, and win on season after season, like 

 the old-time campaigners, Lady Suffolk, Flora Temple, 

 Dexter, Lady Thorn, Goldsmith Maid, Rarus, etc., — 

 don't commence training him until he is five years old. 



