22 THE BEGINNING. 



in certain lines and unless they could trace their pedi- 

 gree for a few generations they were classed with the 

 ol TToAAot. Arguments, pulls and pressure were tried 

 in this case, but without avail, until finally the rejected 

 applicant arose in his wrath and said with a bounding 

 American expletive that he would buy the track 

 over which Lexington and scores of old-time cham- 

 pions had raced and turn it into a graveyard. And he 

 did, the ground covered by the beautiful Metairie 

 Cemetery being the site of the old race course which 

 you have heard of in song and story." 



"Step a heat with that," broke in the husky one, as 

 I heard some one by my ear scratch a match on the 

 wall and take a few puffs at a cigar. 



"How would it do to trot a heat or two seeing that 

 some one has cut a slice out of the track around the 

 hill?" 



"I will go you just once," was the reply of the party 

 who had been doing most of the talking, "and tell you 

 of a trotting race on the river." 



"The what?" said husky voice. "Do they walk on 

 the water where you come from?" 



"Scarcely, scarcely. This is one on the ice. Some- 

 thing that will please my friend from ,the edge of the 

 levee, as he never saw a piece of ice outside of a wagon 

 or a high ball. This trip I will take you to the land 

 where there are miles of it and going on the runners 

 for four or five months each year." 



"I feel cooler already," chipped in the husky voice. 

 "Oh, what a yarn for a July night with the ther- 

 mometer in the top of the tube. Let me touch the 

 button just once more and then we will be with you." 



