THE GRAY WINS. 83 



anybody to come and take it. They would not give 

 odds — that I learned was contrary to their belief in 

 racing — but they would bet even that Conquering 

 Billy would win. 



By this time Floyd also saw his mistake. No one 

 had to tell him what was wrong, as he remembered 

 the trial on the back road, and while he did not at that 

 time know that Oiney had seen it, the knowledge was 

 enough for him. He saw that his mare was not over- 

 matched, but that he was running her beyond her dis- 

 tance, so he sent a friend to Oiney to see if they could 

 not call the race off, as each had a heat and for either 

 of them to win another would only make bad blood. 

 Oiney's answer was "No," In a few minutes the man 

 came again to see if he would take the stake and not 

 run another heat. Oiney again answered "No." 

 There remained but two things for Floyd to do : one 

 was to run it off and the other draw. He drew. 

 Conquering Billy, with Oiney up, galloped over the 

 course and was awarded the stake, while every man 

 on the grounds wanted to thrash Floyd for not giving 

 them a race to the finish for the money they had bet. 



As we drove home from the race Oiney's wagon 

 went out of its way to take me to Uncle Flynn's. As 

 he dropped me at the gate Oiney bade me tell my 

 aunt all about Maud's trial on the back road, and 

 especially how I found him hid in the corner of the 

 fence. I obeyed orders, and when Mike Floyd heard 

 of it, which he did that night, my visit was finished. 



