78 OINEY O'SHKA. 



Oiney never told me that, but Terry whispered it in 

 my ear when we were going home after the race. 



Oiney started off on foot with Conquering Billy 

 for the race ground, and in an hour or so the balance 

 of the O'Shea family started in wagons for the same 

 point. It was a great day for Irishtown. Their pride 

 had been touched by Floyd's boasting, and they were 

 going to make another bid for "ould Ireland" and her 

 supremacy in racing affairs in those parts. No one 

 was to be seen when the place was reached, but to- 

 wards noon Maud in a white blanket was seen coming 

 down the hill. She was led to one of the sheds that 

 had been erected in a field near by for the shelter of 

 horses on similar errands in the past. During the 

 next two hours rigs of all descriptions, men on horse- 

 back and on foot assembled. The time for the race 

 was fixed at two o'clock, but it was after three before 

 the wrangle over judges and starter was disposed of. 

 Then Floyd objected to Terry riding Conquering 

 Billy. He claimed that he was below the proper 

 weight, but the stakeholder ruled that the race was at 

 catch weights and that Oiney could put up anybody 

 he pleased or ride himself if he wanted to. Then 

 there was betting galore, but it was done by the spec- 

 tators, for while Oiney knew after what he had seen 

 on the back road that Maud did not like the distance, 

 he was not certain that Billy would get away well and 

 might lose more at one end than he could make up at 

 the other. 



Maud was the favorite and a volley of cheers fol- 

 lowed her up the road as her jockey galloped towards 

 the starting point. Oiney took Conquering Billy by 

 the bridle and walked off with him, telling Terry to 



