72 LIFE WITH THE TKOTTERS. 



rubbed Mm lie had. been heretofore. He had on him, I 

 should think, at this time, about fifteen or sixteen ounce 

 shoes. I noticed that when he got strung out at a 2:20 

 gait he seemed to sprawl, or in other words go longer than 

 he ought to. This made me conclude to experiment a little 

 with a lighter shoe. I had given him after the Buffalo 

 race no work to speak of, never driving him a mile better 

 than 2:30, and only brushing him a little at the finish of 

 his miles. I would jog him about five or six miles a day, 

 giving him plenty to eat. I was satisfied that he did not 

 need any extra preparation to beat the horses he was liable 

 to meet, so never made any attempt to screw him up. From 

 Utica we went to Poughkeepsie. Clementine was the only 

 other starter. I will here relate an incident which will 

 show what effect on the betting a little information will 

 sometimes have. In the first betting over night, Rarus was 

 bringing $100, and Clementine from $15 to $20. C. S. 

 Dempsey, a man who is familiarly known to the boys as. 

 "Old Dempse," had the pool-selling. When Dempsey 

 opened his box, Crawford stepped up and told him to put 

 $500 on Clementine for him, and that if he got that on 

 before he came back, to put on $500 more. Crawford and 

 myself went to the theatre, and on our return to the hotel, 

 the first man we met was a well-known character named 

 Paddy Dooley. Paddy dragged us both into a dark corner 

 and wanted to know what was the matter with Rarus. 

 When I asked him why he wanted to know, he told me 

 that in the opening betting Rarus was the favorite $100 to 

 $20, but before the betting closed Clementine was the 

 choice, she selling at $100, Rarus $75. Dooley added that 

 the scene about the pool-box put him in mind of Black 

 Friday in Wall street. Of course, Mr. Crawford and my- 

 self were very much surprised at the information, and went 

 to bed leaving Dooley as much in the dark as he was at the 

 start. The next morning we went to the track, and gave 

 the groom of Rarus positive orders not to open the stall 

 doors to anybody, and that if people asked about the con- 



